8     irt. 


PLATE  1 


THE  PRACTICAL 

BOOK  OF  INTERIOR 

DECORATION 

BY 

HAROLD  DONALDSON  EBERLEIN 
ABBOT  McCLURE 

AND 

EDWARD  STRATTON  HOLLOWAY 


WITH  7  PLATES  IN  COLOUR,  283 
IN  DOUBLETONE,  AND  A  CHART 


PHILADELPHIA  AND  LONDON 
J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  COMPANY 


E.5.H 


COPYRIGHT,  1919.  BY  J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  COMPANY 


3144 


PRINTED  BY  J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  COMPANY 

AT  THE  WASHINGTON  SQUARE  PRESS 

PHILADELPHIA,  U.S.A. 


, 

FOREWORD 

IT  is  hard  to  understand  why  someone  has  not  writ- 
ten such  a  book  as  this  before,  a  book  covering  the  three 
great  needs  of  anyone  approaching  in  any  capacity  the 
matter  of  household  decoration. 

History  is  a  treasure  house  of  the  crystallised  expe- 
rience that  has  slowly  evolved  in  past  ages,  a  treasure 
house  ready  for  us  to  draw  upon  as  we  will.  The  limit 
of  our  taking  from  its  stores  is  marked  only  by  our 
capacity  to  receive.  This  is  especially  true  in  the  case 
of  so  concrete  a  subject  as  interior  decoration  where 
many  enduring  examples  of  the  best  achievements  of 
former  generations  in  that  field  have  been  preserved 
for  us  practically  intact. 

The  truest  and  sanest  originality  is  the  product  of  a 
gradual  evolution  and  rational  adaptation  to  present 
needs  of  the  most  obvious  and  applicable  precedents 
established  by  our  predecessors  and  tried  by  the  search- 
ing test  of  time.  Such  originality,  too,  is  largely  an 
unconscious  product.  The  agent  is  scarcely  conscious 
that  he  is  aiming  to  be  original.  Deliberately  self-con- 
scious originality  that  casts  aside  and  contemns  all 
precedent  and  strives,  above  all  else,  to  create  some- 
thing the  like  of  which  has  never  been  done  before,  may 
indeed  be  original  to  the  extent  of  being  unique,  but  the 
chances  are  ninety-nine  out  of  an  hundred  that  it  will 
also  be  gauche  and  crude  and  without  any  merit  to 
entitle  it  to  permanence.  It  wins  notice  only  because  it 
is  a  curiosity  and  a  freak. 

If  there  were  no  guiding  principles  and  traditions, 
if  Interior  Decoration  were  to  begin  to-day,  it  is  prob- 
able that  furnishing — even  of  the  simplest  cottage — 
would  be  a  chaotic  thing.  Successful  decoration  and 


vi  FOREWORD 

home-making  is  a  matter  not  merely  of  "feeling"  or 
even  of  taste,  if  these  necessary  qualities  be  without 
knowledge.  Decoration  is  both  an  art  and  a  science; 
it  is  the  result  of  long  centuries  of  loving  thought  and 
high  craftsmanship  based  upon  unalterable  principles 
of  beauty  and  of  use.  What  wonder  is  it  that  the  usual 
brisk  and  light-hearted  "jumping  into"  the  furnishing 
of  the  home  is  productive  of  a  result  causing  the 
judicious  to  grieve !  Notwithstanding  an  improvement 
in  recent  years,  the  utter  waste  of  money  and  of  effort, 
the  absence  of  any  praiseworthy  result  in  thousands  of 
modern  homes  is  still  appalling. 

Knowledge  therefore  must  come  first,  and  nothing 
can  be  more  absorbing  than  to  see  the  beauty  and  the 
fitness  evolved,  both  from  elaborate  and  from  simple 
materials,  through  the  various  periods  of  Decoration 
and  to  apply  them  to  our  own  needs.  It  would,  then, 
certainly  seem  wise  to  provide  the  professional  decora^ 
tor,  the  home-furnisher  and  the  allied  professions  and 
trades  with  a  convenient,  thorough-going  and  well  illus- 
trated account  and  description  of  the  work  of  the  great 
decorative  periods,  since  their  beginnings,  and  of  the 
principles  which  informed  them. 

In  the  first  part  of  this  volume  the  authors  have 
endeavoured  to  give  a  consecutive  and  synoptic  picture 
of  the  art  of  interior  decoration  as  it  has  been  practised 
in  England,  in  France,  in  Italy,  and  in  Spain  since  the 
beginning  of  the  sixteenth  century,  adding  thereto  such 
comment  as  seemed  necessary  upon  American  modifica- 
tions of  British  usage  during  the  Colonial  and  early 
republican  periods.  This  includes  the  decorative  prac- 
tice of  the  Renaissance,  Baroque,  Rococo  and  Neo- 
Classic  systems,  and  it  may  be  added  that  in  no  other 
one  volume  can  such  a  fully  described,  illustrated  and 
digested  account  be  found. 


FOREWORD  vii 

In  the  second  part  of  the  volume  is  made  the  direct 
application  to  modern  requirements  of  the  lessons  to 
be  drawn  from  the  historical  exposition  in  Part  I.  As 
it  is  manifestly  impossible,  even  were  it  desirable,  to 
give  specific  and  categorical  directions  for  decorative 
procedure  to  suit  every  case,  it  has  been  the  policy  to  set 
forth  principles  as  well  as  to  explain  practice,  and  to 
leave  considerable  discretionary  latitude  in  which  the 
reader  may  exercise  his  or  her  choice  of  action.  In 
this  way  it  is  believed  the  utility  of  the  book  will  prove 
flexible  enough  to  meet  all  sorts  of  needs,  both  simple 
and  elaborate. 

Each  age  has  its  own  conditions,  requirements  and 
developments,  and  any  volume  on  Modern  Decoration 
that  did  not  take  these  fully  into  account  would  be 
imperfect.  The  treatment  of  the  Practical  side  of  Deco- 
ration, in  Part  II,  will  be  found  so  simple  and  straight- 
forward as  to  be  readily  understood  by  any  intelligent 
furnisher  of  his  own  home,  and,  while  this  Part  is 
primarily  addressed  to  him,  it  is  felt  that  a  fresh  view 
of  the  subject  from  a  point  other  than  the  traditions  of 
trade  may  be  of  distinct  interest  to  the  professional 
decorator  and  dealer  as  well. 

The  plates  constitute  a  most  vital  feature  of  the  book 
and  the  reader  is  urged  to  study  carefully  the  illustra- 
tions in  connexion  with  the  text  in  the  manner  indicated 
by  the  text  references.  Without  such  comparison  and 
cross  reference  the  purpose  of  the  volume  will  be  in 
great  measure  defeated.  It  will  be  seen  that  instant 
reference  may  thus  be  made  to  any  particular  feature  of 
the  work. 

We  are  living  in  an  age  of  catholic  appreciation 
which  we  are  optimistic  enough  to  believe  is  increasing. 
We  believe,  also,  that  with  this  catholic  tendency  to 
appreciate  and  to  lay  hold  of  whatever  is  intrinsically 


viii  FOREWORD 

good  in  the  work  of  any  period,  there  is  rapidly  growing 
an  healthy  constructive  ability  on  the  part  of  the  house- 
holder which  prompts  the  individual  to  beautify  his 
or  her  home,  either  through  the  offices  of  a  decorator  or 
through  personal  effort. 

Our  twofold  purpose  is,  in  the  first  place,  to  stimu- 
late intelligent  cooperation  with  the  decorator,  to 
encourage  appreciation  of  what  the  decorator  does,  and 
to  afford  a  sound  basis  of  discriminating  criticism  and 
judgment;  in  the  second  place,  to  aid  the  householder 
who  may  elect  to  achieve  either  a  limited  decorative 
improvement  or  the  execution  of  an  whole  constructive 
scheme.  It  is  also  felt  that  the  decorator  and  the  dealer 
will  find  in  this  volume  much  information  compactly 
arranged  for  instant  reference. 

Whether  or  not  the  services  of  a  decorator  be  re- 
tained, may  we  urge  the  wisdom  of  not  trying  to  hasten 
unduly  the  completion  of  a  scheme.  It  is  infinitely 
better  to  proceed  deliberately,  to  accomplish  at  one  time 
what  is  unquestionably  sound  and  then  to  wait  for  a 
while,  if  it  be  necessary,  to  secure  exactly  what  is 
needed,  rather  than  to  push  for  immediate  completion 
at  the  risk  of  incorporating  features  that  afterwards 
prove  undesirable  and  make  us  rue  our  impatience. 

"We  have  reminded  the  reader  that  this  is  an  age  of 
catholic  appreciation  of  whatever  was  worth  while  in 
the  practice  of  the  past.  In  this  connexion,  it  should 
be  pointed  out  that  while  it  is  perfectly  permissible,  if 
the  householder  so  chooses,  and  may  at  times  be  thor- 
oughly desirable,  to  decorate  and  furnish  a  room  in 
strict  accord  with  some  particular  period  style,  we  do 
not  urge  such  a  course.  Meticulous  reproduction  of 
this  sort  is  apt  to  savour  too  much  of  decorative  arche- 
ology and  to  result  in  a  stilted,  artificial  effect,  quite 
incompatible  with  a  desirable  expression  of  the  owner's 


FOREWORD  ix 

individuality  or  with  the  exercise  of  rational  originality. 
The  outcome  is  likely  to  be  dead  and  "correct"  instead 
of  being  instinct  with  vital  quality  as  it  ought. 

It  is  better  to  think,  to  consult  principles,  which  we 
believe  the  reader  will  find  lucidly  enough  set  forth,  and 
to  employ  a  rational  liberty  of  selection  when  attacking 
a  problem  of  rearrangement  or  of  new  composition. 
The  room  will  then  reflect  the  occupant's  personality, 
a  condition  that  will  afford  vastly  more  interest  and 
lively  charm  than  any  amount  of  simian  exactitude  in 
reproduction. 

No  one  questions  the  value  of  period  furnishing,  but 
the  question  as  to  how  it  is  to  be  used  in  our  modern 
days  has  been  the  subject  of  much  discussion  indeed. 
On  the  one  hand  we  find,  in  practice,  the  narrow  adher- 
ence to  one  period  and  one  country;  on  the  other,  a 
jumble  of  everything  under  the  sun  from  the  fifteenth 
century  to  the  twentieth  and  from  China  to  Portugal. 
In  Part  III  of  this  book  is  for  the  first  time  formulated 
a  logical  system  of  decoration  which  avoids  both  the 
narrow  limitations  of  the  one-period  method  and  the 
pitfalls  of  eclectic  furnishing. 

Without  wishing  to  claim  undue  credit,  the  writers 
are  under  the  impression  that  this  volume  is  the  first  \ 
of  the  kind  to  formulate  a  definite  body  of  decorative 
principles  that  are  applicable  under  any  conditions 
likely  to  arise.  Scattered  precepts  and  general  obser- 
vations upon  the  effects  attained  in  individual  instances 
are  agreeable  and  helpful,  so  far  as  they  go.  It  is  more 
serviceable,  however,  to  have  a  digest  of  principles 
explaining  the  "how"  and  "why",  principles  simple 
and  flexible  enough  in  their  working  to  be  readily 
applied  to  meet  the  varying  requirements  that  may 
from  time  to  time  confront  the  reader. 

It  will  be  seen  upon  perusal  that  a  great  deal  of 


x  FOREWORD 

space  and  attention  have  been  devoted,  both  in  the  his- 
torical section  and  in  the  sections  upon  application,  to 
the  architectural  background  and  the  fixed  decorations. 
The  vital  importance  of  this  part  of  interior  decoration 
cannot  be  overestimated.  Without  it  all  efforts  in  other 
directions  will  be  robbed  of  their  legitimate  result  and 
the  expense  bestowed  will  not  count  for  its  full  value. 

The  architectural  background  and  the  fixed  decora- 
tions really  supply  the  foundation  for  which  all  else  is 
the  superstructure.  When  building  an  house,  no  sane 
person  would  dream  of  constructing  an  elaborate  and 
costly  superstructure  upon  insufficient  or  poor  founda- 
tions. It  is  quite  as  fatuous  to  expect  a  room  to  look 
well  and  to  do  justice  to  the  pains  spent  upon  it  without 
adequate  preparation  of  the  background,  or,  in  other 
words,  the  foundation  for  the  subsequent  movable 
decoration.  If  it  be  necessary  to  economise  anywhere  in 
the  erection  of  a  structure,  the  economising  is  not  done 
at  the  foundation,  which  cannot  be  changed  later,  but 
above  ground  in  the  matter  of  details  that  can  be  subse- 
quently added.  In  precisely  the  same  way,  if  there  be 
any  limitation  in  carrying  out  a  decorative  scheme,  d6 
not  stint  the  background,  which  has  a  strongly  perma- 
nent quality,  but  postpone  completing  a  part  of  the 
movable  equipment,  which  can  be  added  at  any  time. 

The  work  of  interior  decoration  is  not  a  task  that 
can  be  undertaken  in  a  haphazard  manner  and  accom- 
plished with  creditable  results.  Nor  can  it  be  achieved 
by  the  whimsical  following  of  fads.  It  requires  thought, 
judgment,  calm  planning  and  sanity.  In  the  past  it  has 
always  been  a  dignified  occupation  in  which  the  greatest 
architects  and  artists  have  not  hesitated  to  labour  assid- 
uously. Its  ultimate  object,  to  enrich  and  beautify  the 
home  which  is  the  nucleus  of  social  life  and  the  corner- 
stone of  the  state,  is  a  service  in  which  architect  and 


FOREWORD  xi 

artist,  decorator  and  householder  alike  may  engage  with 
justifiable  pride. 

In  conclusion,  the  authors  wish  sincerely  to  thank 
all  the  many  who  have  materially  assisted  in  the  prepa- 
ration of  this  work,  and  for  numerous  courtesies  ex- 
tended to  acknowledge  their  indebtedness,  especially  to 

the  following : the  editors  of  House  and  Garden,  of 

Good  Furniture  Magazine  and  of  House  Beautiful  in 
arranging  for  the  use  of  material  that  has  appeared 
in  substance  in  their  pages ;  to  Messrs.  Wilson  Eyre  and 
Mcllvaine,  Edmund  B.  Gilchrist,  Willing  and  Sims, 
Mellor,  Meigs  and  Howe,  Sir  Ernest  Newton,  Barry 
Parker  and  Raymond  Unwin,  George  Leland  Hunter, 
William  Lawrence  Bottomley,  the  Misses  Hewitt,  the 
Misses  Owen,  Mrs.  Abbot  Thorndike  and  Mrs.  William 
Thorndike,  the  Honourable  Jefferson  M.  Levy,  Wolstan 
Herbert  Dixie,  Durr  Friedley,  E.  S.  Dodge,  and  Henry 
Chapman  Mercer;  to  W.  H.  Ward's  " Architecture  of 
the  French  Renaissance"  and  George  P.  Bankart's 
"Art  of  the  Plasterer";  to  the  C.  M.  Traver  Co.,  Wil- 
liam Helburn,  Inc.,  B.  T.  Batsf  ord,  Ltd.,  Messrs.  L.  Ala- 
voine  &  Co.,  Carvalho  Brothers,  Nicholas  Martin,  Mon- 
tillor  Brothers,  Messrs.  Litchfield  &  Co.,  Radillo  & 
Pelliti  Co.,  Woodville  &  Co.,  the  Chapman  Decorative 
Co.,  Messrs.  Robinson  and  Farr,  R.  W.  Lehiie,  Vogue, 
the  Architectural  Record,  the  International  Studio, 
Waring  &  Gillow,  Ltd.,  Edwards  &  Sons,  Bartholomew 
&  Fletcher,  Speelman  Brothers,  Story  &  Triggs,  C.  J. 
Charles,  the  Aschermann  Studio,  Newcomb-MacklinCo., 
A.  H.  Notman  &  Co.,  Edward  I.  Farmer,  Ramsey,  Lyon 
&  Humphreys,  Inc.,  Alfred  Villoresi,  Karl  Freund, 
Mrs.  M.  Orme  Wilson,  John  Wanamaker;  American 
Art  Galleries,  Anderson  Art  Galleries.;  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Museum  and  School  of  Industrial  Arts,  the  Met- 
ropolitan Museum  of  Art,  Brooklyn  Museum,  and  the 


xii  FOREWORD 

Museum  of  the  Cooper  Institute  for  supplying  many 
illustrations  and  for  permission  to  reproduce  others; 
to  the  officers  and  staffs  of  the  Library  Company  of 
Philadelphia  and  of  the  Philadelphia  Free  Library; 
and  last,  but  by  no  means  least,  to  Mr.  Philip  B. 
Wallace  for  his  unfailing  help  with  many  of  the 
photographs  used. 

HABOLD  DONALDSON  EBEKLEIN 

ABBOT  McCLUBE 

EDWABD  STBATTON  HOLLOWAY 

PHILADELPHIA,  July,  1919 


PART  I 

HISTORIC  PERIOD  DECORATION  IN  ENGLAND,  ITALY, 
SPAIN  AND  FRANCE 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  INTERIOR  DECORATION  IN  ENGLAND  PRIOR  TO  THE 

EIGHTEENTH  CENTURY 3 

II.  INTERIOR  DECORATION  IN  ENGLAND  AND  AMERICA 

DURING  THE  EIGHTEENTH  CENTURY 25 

III.  INTERIOR   DECORATION   IN   ITALY  PRIOR  TO  THE 

EIGHTEENTH  CENTURY 63 

IV.  INTERIOR  DECORATION  IN  ITALY  DURING  THE  EIGH- 

TEENTH CENTURY. 79 

V.  INTERIOR  DECORATION   IN   SPAIN  PRIOR  TO  THE 

EIGHTEENTH  CENTURY 96 

VI.  INTERIOR  DECORATION  IN  SPAIN  DURING  THE  EIGH- 
TEENTH CENTURY 104 

VII.  INTERIOR  DECORATION  IN  FRANCE  PRIOR  TO  THE 

EIGHTEENTH  CENTURY 108 

VIII.  INTERIOR   DECORATION   IN   FRANCE  DURING  THE 
EIGHTEENTH  CENTURY  AND  THE  FIRST  DECADES 

OF  THE  NINETEENTH 130 

IX.  NINETEENTH  CENTURY  EPISODES  AND  AFTER 167 

PART  II 

PRACTICAL  DECORATION  AND  FURNISHING 

I.  THE  BASIS  OF  SUCCESSFUL  DECORATION 185 

II.  COLOUR  AND  COLOUR  SCHEMES 191 

III.  WALLS,  AS  DECORATION  AND  AS  BACKGROUND 233 

IV.  FLOORS  AND  THEIR  COVERINGS 258 

xiii 


xiv  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

V.  WINDOWS  AND  THEIR  TREATMENT 269 

VI.  THE  ARRANGEMENT  AND  BALANCE  OF  FURNITURE  . .  282 

VII.  FURNITURE  AND  ITS  CHOOSING 297 

VIII.  DECORATIVE  TEXTILES 312 

IX.  ARTIFICIAL  LIGHTING 324 

X.  MANTEL  DECORATION  AND  GARNITURE 343 

XI.  PICTURES  AND  THEIR  FRAMING 350 

XII.  DECORATIVE  ACCESSORIES 364 

PART  III 

INTERNATIONAL-INTER  PERIOD  DECORATION 
AND  FURNISHING 

INTRODUCTION:  THE  ASSEMBLING  OF  STYLES 371 

I.  THE  RENAISSANCE 377 

II.  THE  BAROQUE  SEVENTEENTH  CENTURY 392 

III.  THE  Rococo 410 

IV.  THE  NEO-CLASSIC ,  .  426 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

PLATE  PAGE 

1.  A  Casement  Bow-window  with  William  and  Mary  and  Queen 

Anne  Furniture.  (Colour-plate.) Frontispiece 

2.  The  Hall,  Franks,  Kent.    English  Renaissance 8 

3.  Dining  Room  in  English  Renaissance  Style  (Early  Stuart  Phase) .  8 

4.  Living  Room  of  Stuart  Type 9 

5.  Living  Room  of  Stuart  Type 9 

6.  Drawing  Room  Panelled  in  Oak,  William  and  Mary  Period 12 

7.  Early  Georgian  Room  with  Panelled  and  Painted  Walls 26 

8.  Bed  Chamber  in  Queen  Anne  Mode  with  Panelled  Painted  Walls  30 

9.  Dining  Room  of  Georgian  Type 30 

10.  The  Banquetting   Room,  Croome   Court,    Worcestershire,   by 

Robert  Adam 31 

11.  Adam  Door  and  Over  Door  Decoration 31 

12.  The  Dining  Room  at  "Mt.  Airy" 48 

13.  Chamber,  Palazzo  Davanzati,  Firenze,  15th  Century 64 

14.  Italian  Renaissance  Details 64 

15A.  Salon,  First  Floor,  Palazzo  Davanzati,  Firenze,  15th  Century.. .  65 

15B.  Bed  Chamber,  Palazzo  Davanzati 65 

16.  Chamber  in  Palazzo  Vecchio,  Firenze,  16th  Century 65 

17.  Throne  Room — Palazzo  Quirinale,  Roma 66 

18.  The  Hall  of  Hercules,  Palazzo  Farnese,  Caprarola 66 

19.  Palazzo  Farnese,  Caprarola 66 

20A.  Hall,  Villa  Curonia,  Florence 80 

205.  Room,  Villa  Curonia,  Florence 80 

2L4.  Detail  of  Mirror  Gallery,  Palazzo  Doria,  Roma 80 

21J5.  Bed  Chamber,  Castello  Vincigliata 80 

22A.  Bed  Chamber,  Villa  Curonia,  Florence 80 

22B.  Antechamber,  Villa  Fabbricotti,  Late  18th  Century 80 

23A.  Spanish  Renaissance  Interior:   Plain  Walls 98 

23B.  Walls  Partially  Encrusted  with  Tiles  in  Spanish  Manner 98 

24.  Spanish  Renaissance  Room  with  Plain  Plaster  Walls 99 

25.  Spanish  Interior  with  Baroque  and  Rococo  Furniture 104 

26.  Woodwork   and  Plasterwork.    Gallery,   Fontainebleau.     Style 

Francis  1 114 

27.  Long  Gallery,  Fontainebleau.    Style  Francis  I • 114 

'28.      Fireplace  and  Chimney  Piece,  Fontainebleau.  Style  Henri  II. ..  115 

29.      Hall  of  St.  Louis,  Fontainebleau.    Style  Henri  IV-Louis  XIII . .  115 
30A.  Vestibule  d'Honneur,  Fontainebleau.  Style  Louis  XIII,  Extreme 

Baroque 120 

305.  Salle  des  Gardes,  Fontainebleau.    Style  Louis  XIII,  Transition.  120 

XV 


xvi  ILLUSTRATIONS 

31A.  Salon  Marie  de  M&lecis,  Luxembourg  Palace.    Style  Louis  XIII  120 
31B.  Salon,  Fontainebleau.    Style  Louis  XIII 120 

32.  Throne  Room,  Luxembourg  Palace.    Style  Louis  XIV 121 

33.  Characteristic  Baroque  Decorative  Motifs 121 

34.  Bed  Chamber  of  Louis  XIV,  Versailles.    Style  Louis  XIV 122 

35.  Hall  of  Hercules,  Versailles.    Style  Louis  XIV 122 

36.A.  Doorway,  Luxembourg  Palace .    Style  Louis  XIV 122 

36B.  Throne  Room,  Luxembourg  Palace.    Style  Louis  XIV 122 

37.      Re*gence  Panelling  in  Carved  Oak,  Parcel  Gilt 132 

38A.  Louis  XV  (Rococo)  Overmantel  Mirror 133 

38J?.  Painted  Panel  by  Lancret,  Rococo 133 

39A.  Salon,  H6tel  de  Breteuil,  Paris.    Style  Louis  XV,  Simple  Rococo  148 
39.B.  Salon,  H6tel  Delisle-Mansart,  Paris.     Style  Louis  XV,  Simple 

Rococo 148 

40.  Chimney-piece,  H6tel  de  Matignon,  Paris.    Style  Louis  XV,  Ex- 

treme Rococo 148 

41.  Bed  Chamber,  Decorated  by  Boffrand,  Hotel  de  Soubise,  Paris. 

Extreme  Rococo 149 

42.  Ape  Room,  Decorated  by  Huet,  H6tel  de  Rohan,  Paris.   Extreme 

Rococo 149 

43.  Characteristic  Rococo  Decorative  Motifs  from  Panelling 150 

44.  Characteristic  Rococo  and  Neo-Classic  Panel  Motifs . . . . 150 

45.  Characteristic  Neo-Classic  Panelling  Motifs 151 

46.  Boudoir,  H6tel  de  LaFayette,'  Paris.    Style  Louis  XVI . . . .  151 

474.  Salon,  H6tel  Gouffier  de  Thoix,  Paris.    Style  Louis  XV,  Rococo  152 

475.  Salon,  H6tel  Baudart  de  St.  James,  Paris.    Style  Louis  XVI ...  152 

48A.  Salon,  H6tel  du  Chatelet,  Paris.    Style  Louis  XVI 152 

48£.  Salon,  H6tel  du  Chatelet,  Paris.    Style  Louis  XVI 152 

49.  Salon,  H6tel  de  LaFayette,  Paris.    Style  Louis  XVI 152 

50.  Dining  Room,  H6tel  Chanac  de  Pompadour,  Paris.    Directoire- 

Empire 158 

51A.  Salon,  H6tel  de  Grammont,  Paris.  Style  Louis  XVI-Directoire. 

Furniture  Empire 158 

SIB.  Salon,  H6tel  de  Mailly,  Paris.  Style  Empire 158 

52A.  Office  and  Reception  Room  in  "Modern"  Style 176 

52£.  Scheme  for  a  Dining  Room  in  "Modern"  Style 176 

53.  Modern  British  Cottage  with  Built-in  Furniture 176 

54.  Panel  Inserts  of  Japanese  Paper,  Lamp  and  Table,  "Modern" 

Style , 176 

55.  One-Period  Decoration.    A  Louis  XV  Drawing  Room 188 

56.  International-Interperiod  Decoration  in  a  Modern  Apartment. .  188 

57.  "Modern"  Decoration.    Hotel  Traymore,  Atlantic  City,  N.  J. .  188 

58.  A  Study  in  Values 208 

59.  The  Quiet  Room.    Rose  Dominant  over  Green  (Colour  Plate) . .  218 

60.  Reception-room.    Rose  Dominant.    (Colour  Plate) 220 


ILLUSTRATIONS  xvii 

61.  Second  Bedroom.    Rose  Dominant  over  Blue.    (Colour  Plate) .  220 

62.  Sitting  or  Sewing  Room.     Rose  Dominant  over  Tan.     (Colour 

Plate) 221 

63.  Colour  Scheme,  Based  on  Yellows,  for  Two  Rooms.  (Colour  Plate)  221 

64.  An  Excellent  Example  of  Modern  Panelling,  for  a  Bedroom. 

(Colour  Plate) 234 

65A.  A  Nobly  Proportioned  Dining  Room  Panelled  in  Georgian  Style  236 
655.  Walls  Covered  with  Filled  Canvas  and  Applied  Moulding 236 

664.  Plaster  Walls  in  Combination  with  Extensive  Woodwork 238 

665.  A  Combination  of  Many  Materials  in  a  Modern  English  Dining 

Room 238 

67A.  Wall  of  Concrete  Blocks:  Cross-beamed  Ceiling 238 

675.  Stone  Walls  and  Flagging 238 

68.  Sand-finished  Walls  Forming  an  Admirable  Background 239 

69.  Plaster  Walls  with  Adam  Mantel,  Ceiling,  Etc 239 

70A.  A  Simply  Painted  Grey  Wall 240 

705.  Wall  of  Italian  Inspiration 240 

71.  Composite  Room,  Landscape  Wall  Decoration 240 

72.  A  Hall  with  Paper  of  Two-tone  Stripe 241 

73A.  Wall  Covered  with  Damask 241 

735.  Foliage  Paper  as  Panel  Inserts 241 

74.  Walls  with  Panels  of  Late  18th  Century  Architectural  Wall  Paper  246 

75.  Black  Ground,  Flowered,  Cretonne  Paper 247 

76.  Narrow,  Conventional  Border  and  Set-down  Picture-rail 250 

77A.  A  "Modern"  Treatment  of  Wall  and  Piano 256 

77B.  Scheme  for  a  Billiard  Room  in  " Modern"  Style 256 

78A.  Reposeful  Hall  Relieved  by  Decoration  of  Upper  Wall-space.  . .  257 

785.  Modern  British  Plain-wall  Cottage  Living-room 257 

7QA.  Large  Rug  Formed  of  Strips  of  Carpet  Sewed  Together 260 

795.  Plain-centre  Rug  with  Border  of  Oriental  Character 260 

80A.  Oriental  Rugs  as  Relief  to  Plain  Walls 260 

805.  Plain-centre  Rug  with  Border  in  Accord  with  Interior 260 

81  A.  Cement  Floor  with  Inserted  Design  in  Coloured  Tile 260 

815.  Tiled  Floor  and  Base  with  Plaster  Wall 260 

82A.  Two  Tiers  of  Sash-curtains 272 

825.  Short  Sash-curtains  and  Long  Side-curtains 272 

83A.  Simple  Curtains  of  Figured  Net  with  Shades 272 

835.  Three  Sets  of  Curtains— Sash,  Draw  and  Ornamental 272 

MA.  Curtains  of  Striped  Silk 273 

845.  Casement  Bow-window  with  Valance  Following  the  Windows. . .  273 

85.  Shaped  Valance  and  Curtains  Contained  within  Architectural 

Setting 273 

86.  Cornices  in  the  Neo-Classic  Mode 278 

87.4.  Ornamental  Valance  with  Plain  Curtains 279 

875.  Valance  and  Curtains  with  Contrasting  Bands 279 


xviii  ILLUSTRATIONS 

~88A.  An  English  Bedroom  with  Appropriate  Seat  at  Foot  of  Bed.  . .  282 

8&B.  An  English  Bedroom 282 

89A.  The  Corner  of  a  Man's  Living-room 282 

895.  Italian  Renaissance  Furniture  in  Formal  Balance 282 

90A.  Faulty  Balance  Between  the  Two  Sides  of  a  Room 283 

905.  Balance  Accomplished  by  Change  of  Pictures  283 

91.  Disorganisation  and  Barrenness  in  a  Generally  Good  Interior . .  283 

92A.  Built-up  Effect  of  Console-cabinet,  Mirror  and  Accessories  .  . .  288 

92B.  Built-up  Effect  of  Couch,  Backing  and  Panel  of  Prints 288 

93A.  English  Cottage  Furniture 298 

93.B.  English  Cottage  Living-room  with  Furniture  Designed  by  the 

Architects 298 

94A.  Attractive  Forms  of  Reed  Furniture 299 

94B.  Modern  Painted  Furniture  in  a  Seaside  Cottage 299 

95A.  An  Old  Cottage  at  Weston-Patrick,  Hampshire 310 

95B.  Painted  Furniture  well  Adapted  to  the  "Newer"  Decoration. .  310 

9&A.  William  and  Mary  Room  Panelled  in  Oak,  Upholstered  Settee.  314 

96B.  Bad  Scale  in  Textiles 314 

97A.  Armchair  Covered  with  Petit  Point  Needlework,  Tapestry 

Curtain 314 

97.B.  Chippendale  Long  Stool  Covered  with  Gros  Point  Needlework.  314 

98.  The  Charm  of  Chintz  in  an  "Old-time"  Interior 315 

99.  A  Fine  Use  of  Wall  Hangings 315 

100A.  Early  18th  Century  Chandelier  Lighting  a  Stair-well 330 

100B.  Hanging  Lanthorn  and  Venetian  Processional  Lamp 330 

101.      Carved  Wood  and  Gilt  Side-light 330 

102A.  Adam  Glass  Candelabrum 330 

1025.  Empire  and  Italian  Candlesticks 330 

102C.  Empire  and  Tall  Italian  Candlesticks 330 

103.      Attractive  Lamps  in  Attractive  Environments 336 

104A.  Lamp  of  Pauleo  Ware  in  Old  Rose 336 

104J5.  Lamp  of  Peacock -feather  Design  in  Blue  and  Grey 336 

104C.  Chinese  Porcelain  Lamp  and  Shade  in  Light  Blue 336 

105.      Two  Vase  Lamps  of  Excellent  Contour 337 

106A.  Chinese  Egg-shell  Lantern  Mounted  as  a  Lamp 337 

106B.  Old  Ming  Figure  Mounted  as  a  Lamp 337 

107.     Three  Chinese  Lamps  with  Specially  Adapted  Shades 338 

108A.  Oriental  Vase  Lamp  with  Silk  Shade 338 

108.B.  Oriental  Vase  Lamp  with  Designed  Paper  Shade 338 

108C.  Bronze  Reproduction  of  an  Antique  Japanese  Vase 338 

109A    Italian  Renaissance  Pedestal  Lamp 339 

109B.  Pedestal  Lamp  Suited  to  Any  Dignified  Environment 339 

109C.  Pedestal  Lamps  of  Carved  Wood 339 

1KU. 

1105 


'|Two  Attractive  Lamps  for  the  Boudoir 339 


ILLUSTRATIONS  xix 

HOC.  A  Colonial  Lamp 339 

HOD.  Mahogany  Standard  Lamp 339 

1114.  Fireplace  in  a  Modern  Apartment 344 

1115.  Chimney-piece  by  Robert  Adam 344 

111C.  Italian  Renaissance  Fireplace,  Palazzo  Ruccelai 344 

112.  Chimney-piece  in  Wood;  Empanelled  Portrait 346 

113.  Armorial  Bearings  and  Plan  of  Estate  as  Chimney-piece  Decora- 

tion    347 

114.  Excellent  Framing  of  a  Picture  of  Decorative,  Period  Character.  350 

115.  Gold  Frames  of  Stanford  White  and  Whistler  Design 354 

110.      French  Period  Frames 354 

117.  An  Unusually  Beautiful  Setting  for  an  Architectural  Painting  .  355 

118.  Ornamental  Mouldings  for  Water-colours,  etc 355 

1194.  Photograph-frame  for  the  Reproduction  of  a  Portrait 356 

1195.  Arrangement  of  Pictures  Illustrating  the  Principles  of  Balance  356 

120.  Stuart  Bed  Chamber  with  Accessories 364 

121.  Porcelains  as  Accessories  in  a  Fine  English  Hall 364 

1224.  A  Screen  Both  Useful  and  Decorative 364 

1225.  Hanging,  Screen  and  Panels  Used  with  Good  Effect 364 

123.  Reception-room  with  Chippendale,  Hepplewhite  and  American 

Empire  Furniture 372 

124.  A  Louis  Seize  Drawing-room  in  a  New  York  Apartment 372 

125.  Dining-room  in  "Modern"  Style  in  a  New  York  Apartment  . .  373 

126.  Man's  Room  with  Simple  Period  and  Wicker  Furniture 373 

127.  Room  in  Palazzo  Davanzati:  Plain  Walls 378 

128.  An  International  Renaissance  Interior  in  a  Remodelled  Farm- 

house    379 

129.  Italian  Renaissance  Wall  Furniture 386 

130.  Italian  Renaissance  Chairs  and  Tables 386 

1314.  French  16th  Century  Cabinet  on  Stand 387 

1315.  French  Cabinet  a  Deux  Carps 387 

1324.  French  Renaissance  Walnut  Chairs 387 

1325.  An  Elizabethan  Coffer — English  Renaissance 387 

133.  Spanish  Renaissance  Wall  Furniture 388 

134.  Spanish  and  Portuguese  Renaissance  Furniture 388 

135.  A  Spacious  Modern  Hall  in  Italian  Renaissance  Style 388 

1364.  Diminutive  Spanish  Chair:  Extreme  Baroque 394 

1365.  English  Renaissance  Interior  Persisting  to  Baroque  Times.  .  . .  394 

137.  Early  Georgian  Room  with  Painted  and  Panelled  Walls 394 

138.  Salon  of  Diana,  Versailles,  Style  Louis  XIV 395 

139.  Sala  dei  Angeli,  Palazzo  Farnese,  Caprarola 395 

140.  An  18th  Century  Bedroom,  Casa  de  Alta-Vila,  Agueda,  Portugal  402 

1414.  French  Armoire  by  Boulle,  17th  Century 404 

1415.  Italian  Carved  Walnut  Armoire,  17th  Century 404 

1424.  French  Baroque  Marqueterie  Cabinet 404 


xx  ILLUSTRATIONS 

1425.  Italian  Baroque,  Red  Lacquer  and  Polychrome  Armoire 404 

143.  French  and  English  Furniture,  Baroque  Epoch 405 

144.  Italian  Renaissance  Credenza  with  Baroque  Chairs 405 

talian  Baroque  Chairs 406 

145ZX  Ornate  but  Dignified  English  Baroque  Chairs 406 

146A.  18th  Century  French  Lacquered  Escritoire 406 

1465.  18th  Century  Venetian  Lacquered  Escritoire 406 

147.  Italian  Baroque  Tables  and  Chests  of  Drawers 407 

148.  Spanish  Baroque  Chairs 407 

149.  Portuguese  Baroque  Seating  Furniture 408 

150.  Dining-room  with  18th  Century  Italian  and  Spanish  Furniture .  409 

151.  Portuguese  Rococo  Furniture 420 

152A.  Spanish  Transition  Baroque-Rococo  Chest  of  Drawers 420 

1525.  French  Regence  Chairs 1 420 

152C.  French  Rococo  Console 420 

153A.  Louis  XV  Cabinet  in  Chinese  Taste 421 

1535.  Louis  XV  Marqueterie  Commode  with  Bronze  Ornaments 421 

154A.  Chippendale  French  Mirror 421 

1545.  Chippendale  French  Console  Cabinet  with  Rococo  Motifs 421 

155.  Venetian  Rococo  Furniture 422 

156.  An  Italian  Rococo  Painted  Set 422 

157.  Italian  Rococo  Furniture 423 

158.  Spanish  Rococo  Furniture 423 

159.  Adam  Drawing-room  with  Wedgewood  Plaques  in  Walls 430 

160.  Salon,  H6tel  d'Orsay,  Paris.    Style  Louis  XVI 431 

161.  Louis  XVI  Commode  by  Martin  Carlin 436 

162A.  Louis  Seize  Settee  and  Chairs  in  Old  Needlework 436 

1625.  Chairs  Designed  by  Robert  Adam  for  Harewood  House 436 

163.  Italian  Neo  Classic  Cha  irs  and  Settee 437 

164.  Italian  Neo  Classic  Wall  Furniture 437 

165A.  Venetian  Neo  Classic  Walnut  Table 438 

1655.   Spanish  Neo  Classic  Painted  Slant-top  Desk 438 

166.  Spanish  Neo  Classic  Bedstead  and  Chairs 438 

167.  A  Combination  of  Neo  Classic  and  Chippendale  Furniture  . . .  439 

168.  The  Classic  Revival  Salon  of  Thomas  Jefferson;  Louis  Seize 

Furniture 439 

169.  Louis  Seize  French  Panelling:   British  and  American  Furniture  440 

170.  18th  Century  Italian  and  French  Furniture 441 

171.  Directoire  Seating  Furniture 444 

172.  Directoire  Settee  with  Fluted  Legs 444 

173.  Living  Room  with  Furniture  of  Prevailing  Empire  Type 444 

Chart:     The  Four  Great  Decorative  Influences 447 


PART  I 

HISTORIC  PERIOD  DECORATION  IN 

ENGLAND,  ITALY,  SPAIN 

AND  FRANCE 


Finally,  there  should  grow  the  most  austere  of  all 
mental  qualities;  I  mean  the  sense  for  style.  It  is  an 
aesthetic  sense,  based  on  admiration  for  the  direct  attain- 
ment of  a  foreseen  end,  simply  and  without  waste.  Style 
in  art,  style  in  literature,  style  in  science,  style  in  logic, 
style  in  practical  execution,  have  fundamentally  the  same 
aesthetic  qualities,  namely,  attainment  and  restraint.  The 
love  of  a  subject  in  itself  and  for  itself,  where  it  is  not  the 
sleepy  pleasure  of  pacing  a  mental  quarter-deck,  is  the 
love  of  style  as  manifested  in  that  study. 

Here  we  are  brought  back  to  the  position  from  which 
we  started,  the  utility  of  education.  Style,  in  its  finest 
sense,  is  the  last  acquirement  of  the  educated  mind ;  it  is 
also  the  most  useful.  It  pervades  the  whole  being.  The 
administrator  with  a  sense  for  style,  hates  waste;  the 
engineer  with  a  sense  for  style,  economises  his  material ; 
the  artisan  with  a  sense  for  style,  prefers  good  work. 
Style  is  the  ultimate  morality  of  the  mind. 

But,  above  style  and  above  knowledge,  there  is  some- 
thing, a  vague  shape  like  fate  above  the  Greek  gods.  The 
something  is  Power.  Style  is  the  fashioning  of  power, 
the  restraining  of  power.  But,  after  all,  the  power  of 
attainment  of  the  desired  end  is  fundamental.  The  first 
thing  is  to  get  there.  Do  not  bother  about  your  style,  but 
solve  your  problem,  justify  the  ways  of  God  to  man, 
administer  your  province  or  do  whatever  else  is  set 
before  you. 

Where,  then,  does  style  help  ?  In  this,  with  style  the 
end  is  attained  without  side  issues,  without  raising  un- 
desirable inflammations.  With  style,  you  attain  your  end 
and  nothing  but  your  end.  With  style,  the  effect  of 
your  activity  is  calculable,  and  foresight  is  the  last  gift 
of  gods  to  men.  With  style,  your  power  is  increased,  for 
your  mind  is  not  distracted  with  irrelevancies,  and  you 
are  more  likely  to  attain  your  object.  Now  style  is  the  ex- 
clusive privilege  of  the  expert.  Who  ever  heard  of  the 
style  of  an  amateur  painter,  of  the  style  of  an  amateur 
poet?  Style  is  always  the  product  of  specialist  study, 
the  peculiar  contribution  of  specialism  to  culture. 

"THE  ORGANISATION  OP  THOUGHT " 

By  A.  N.  Whitehead,  Sc.D.,  F.R.S. 

London :  Williams  &  Norgate 
Philadelphia:   J.  B.  Lippincott  Company. 


THE  PRACTICAL  BOOK  OF 
INTERIOR   DECORATION 

PART  I 

HISTORIC     PERIOD     DECORATION    IN    ENGLAND, 
ITALY,  SPAIN  AND  FRANCE 

CHAPTER  I 

INTERIOR  DECORATION  IN  ENGLAND  PRIOR 
TO  THE  EIGHTEENTH  CENTURY 

/NTRODUCTION.  —  Sixteenth  century  England 
will  ever  be  endued  with  a  glamour  all  its  own  in 
the  eyes  of  those  over  whom  history  exerts  a  fas- 
cinating hold  or  in  whose  mental  background  a  strong 
sense  of  love  and  reverence  for  our  Mother  Country 
and  a  just  pride  in  our  great  heritage  of  English  blood 
and  traditions  count  as  potent  factors.  The  vigour, 
freshness  and  naivete  of  the  period,  added  to  the  full- 
blooded  stability  of  English  characteristics  and  tradi- 
tions, combine  to  cast  a  subtle  spell  over  the  imagina- 
tion. Even  the  misdoings  of  that  old  reprobate  and 
rapacious  spendthrift,  Henry  VIII,  seem  to  fade  into 
a  half-pardoned  state  of  unreality  and  grow  less  repre- 
hensible in  the  enshrouding  haze  of  glowing  splendour 
that  radiates  from  the  Field  of  the  Cloth  of  Gold,  and 
when  we  think  of  the  marvellous  delights  of  Nonesuch 
or  of  the  2600  tapestries  that  adorned  the  walls  of  his 
palaces  we  are  all  too  apt  to  forget  whence  came  the 

3 


4       .  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

funds  to  compass  the  building  of  the  former  and  that 
many  of  the  latter  he  either  stole  from  the  monasteries 
he  so  ruthlessly  pillaged  or  niched  from  the  possessions 
of  Cardinal  Wolsey. 

Notwithstanding  all  this  bravery  of  gorgeous  dis- 
play, there  was  comparatively  little  upon  which,  for  our 
present  purpose,  we  may  profitably  centre  our  atten- 
tion until  we  come  to  the  days  of  Queen  Elizabeth.  Dur- 
ing her  reign  the  building  of  country  houses  advanced 
by  strides  and  gave  scope  for  the  art  of  furnishing  to 
develop  to  a  truly  national  extent.  In  all  this  work, 
which  progressed  continuously  during  the  rule  of 
Elizabeth  and  her  Stuart  successors,  the  spirit  of  the 
Renaissance  was  the  controlling  influence,  but  that  influ- 
ence arrived  in  England  through  various  channels  and 
manifested  itself  under  varying  forms,  as  we  shall 
presently  see,  so  that  it  is  necessary  to  divide  the  epoch 
embracing  the  last  half  of  the  sixteenth  century  and 
the  whole  of  the  seventeenth  into  three  phases — the  first 
covering  decoration  in  the  time  of  Queen  Elizabeth  and 
during  the  reigns  of  King  James  and  King  Charles  I,  a 
period  of  consistent,  logical  and  uninterrupted  devel- 
opment; the  second  covering  the  8our  years  of  the 
Commonwealth;  the  third  covering  the  Restoration 
period,  with  all  its  influx  of  fresh  and  divers  tendencies, 
and  terminating  in  the  medley  of  Baroque  and  Oriental 
fashions  that  flourished  vigorously  all  through  the 
reign  of  William  and  Mary. 

In  the  Elizabethan  period  the  chiefest  part  of  the 
architectural  and  mobiliary  Renaissance  inspiration 
came  into  England  through  Flemish  channels.  While 
a  powerful  Renaissance  influence  had  taken  deep  root 
in  Flanders  and  wrought  abundant  results,  neverthe- 
less the  Flemings,  like  the  French,  had  retained  a  large 


ENGLAND  5 

measure  of  late  Gothic  tradition  and  their  interpreta- 
tion of  Renaissance  principles  was  strongly  tinged  and 
modified  by  this  residuary  leaven  of  an  earlier  mode 
so  that  the  composite  result  was  unmistakably  local 
and  individual  in  character.  This  body  of  Flemish 
forms,  upon  its  transition  to  England,  was  grafted  upon 
a  stock  of  British  growth  and  precedent  and  the  pure 
Italian  Renaissance  element  in  it  was  still  further 
diluted  by  British  conceptions  and  methods  of  execu- 
tion on  the  part  of  craftsmen  who,  then  as  now,  were 
conservative  and  retentive  of  the  manner  of  technique 
and  forms  of  decorative  expression  instilled  by  early 
training.  In  spite,  however,  of  the  dominating  Flem- 
ish bias  imparted  to  the  Renaissance  mode  in  England, 
distinct  traces  of  a  subsidiary  but  unadulterated  source 
of  Italian  inspiration  recur  again  and  again  in  the  work 
of  the  period,  showing  that  the  direct  connexion  with 
Italian  cultural  influence  was  far  stronger  and  more 
intimate  than  is  generally  supposed.  We  may  the  more 
readily  credit  the  existence  and  potency  of  this  bond 
when  we  look  into  the  literary  history  of  the  age  and 
find  that  between  the  accession  and  death  of  the  Virgin 
Queen  there  were  published  in  England  no  fewer  than 
394  translations  from  the  Italian  into  English  and  72 
texts  in  Italian  and  Latin.  When  Italian  literature 
found  such  a  receptive  audience  as  these  figures  prove, 
when  we  remember  how  closely  the  arts  were  inter- 
related in  England,  when  we  study  the  evidence  of 
trade  and  imports,  and  when  we  consider  the  presence 
of  not  a  few  able  Italian  craftsmen,  whose  continued 
residence  and  activity  in  England  are  matters  of  his- 
torical record,  we  may  be  very  sure  that  Englishmen 
were  not  insensible  to  the  enlivening  impetus  of  direct 
contact  with  Latin  sources  in  matters  of  d-ecoration. 


6  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

We  also  see  in  this  condition  a  further  link  in  the  pow- 
erful chain  of  evidence  showing  a  wide  international- 
ism in  art,  an  internationalism  that  we  are  altogether 
too  prone  to  ignore  in  the  past  and  assume  as  a  develop- 
ment of  modern  times. 

Under  the  Commonwealth  we  find  a  period  of  com- 
parative stagnation  and  arrested  growth  in  matters  of 
English  decoration.  Certain  Baroque  tendencies,  it  is 
true,  came  more  into  evidence  than  at  an  earlier  date, 
but,  for  the  most  part,  it  was  an  era  of  drab  monotony ; 
the  minority  who  still  cherished  taste  and  refinement 
were  in  too  great  trouble  or  weighed  down  by  disabil- 
ities too  heavy  to  permit  them  to  give  much  encourage- 
ment to  any  form  of  art,  and  the  greater  part  of  the 
nation,  under  the  impulse  of  that  strange  mania  that 
impelled  the  rue-faced  Roundhead  ranters  and  gloomy 
Puritan  religionists  to  contemplate  in  fascinated  dread 
the  flaming  terrors  of  hell  and  to  prophesy  with  savage 
satisfaction  the  unalterable  damnation  of  all  their  kin 
and  neighbours,  was  much  too  engrossed  in  the  orgy 
of  morbid  introspection  to  pay  much  heed  to  the  ameni- 
ties of  architecture  or  decoration.  A  few  wealthy 
"  worldlings  "  did  indulge  in  "  wicked  and  unedifying 
extravagances,"  but  their  example  did  not  produce  an 
appreciable  effect. 

At  the  Restoration,  the  pendulum  swung  to  the 
other  extremity  of  its  arc  and  the  arts  of  architecture 
and  interior  decoration  gained  all  the  impetus  that 
usually  attends  long  pent  up  energy  suddenly  let  loose 
in  a  congenial  and  hitherto  forbidden  field  of  activity. 
The  impetus  was  further  intensified  in  London  by  the 
necessity  of  replacing  the  ruin  wrought  by  the  Great 
Fire.  The  large  numbers  of  refugees  returning  from 
exile  on  the  Continent  in  the  train  of  the  King  brought 
with  them  not  only  a  fresh  set  of  polite  tastes,  require- 


ENGLAND  7 

ments  and  broadened  conceptions  but  also  a  very  con- 
siderable quantity  of  household  furnishings  and  lux- 
urious garniture.  Court  circles  and  the  people  of  the 
country  at  large  alike  welcomed  all  the  new  and  newly 
invigorated  influences  —  French,  Italian,  Flemish, 
Dutch,  Spanish,  Portuguese  and  Oriental — that  suc- 
cessively made  their  way  into  England  as  a  result 
partly  of  political  alliances,  partly  of  expanded  trade 
relations,  partly  through  the  immigration  of  foreign 
artificers,  and  partly,  though  by  no  means  in  the  least 
measure,  through  a  new  cosmopolitanism  that  was 
gradually  spreading  throughout  the  country  and  sup- 
planting the  old  insularity  that  had  received  a  mortal 
wound  when  King  Charles  the  Martyr  was  beheaded 
and  got  its  coup  de  grace  when  King  Charles  the  Scape- 
grace, as  the  Merry  Monarch  might  well  have  been 
called,  came  back  from  overseas  to  ''enjoy  his  own 
again. ' ' 

The  architecture  of  this  complex  Restoration  period 
was  catholic  enough  to  employ  inspiration  derived 
from  French,  Flemish  and  Italian  interpretations  of 
the  Renaissance  spirit  and  also  to  incorporate  Baroque 
elements  when  there  was  occasion.  In  the  field  of  inte- 
rior decoration  we  find  an  opulent  medley  of  Renais- 
sance, Flemish,  Baroque,  East  Indian  and  Chinese 
influences  that  combined  to  diversify  the  mobiliary 
manifestations  of  the  period  to  an  hitherto  unwonted 
degree. 

Architectural  Background  and  Methods  of  Fixed 
Decoration. — Allusion  has  already  been  made  to  the 
domestic  architecture  of  the  age  of  Elizabeth,  which 
was  largely  a  composite  of  Flemish  Renaissance  forms 
grafted  upon  an  English  stock  of  late  Gothic  proven- 
ance. One  might  characterise  the  style  as  a  Gothic 
bodv  with  Flemish  Renaissance  features  and  clothes. 


8  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

The  rooms  and  galleries  were  large,  or  at  the  very 
least  commodious,  and  the  ceilings  were  frequently 
though  not  invariably  low  in  comparison  to  the  other 
dimensions,  unless  there  was  an  open  timbered  roof. 
The  window  openings  were  large  and  might  consist  of 
a  range  of  three  or  more  leaded  casements  separated 
by  upright  posts  or  mullions  of  wood  or  stone,  or  might 
rise  to  a  great  height,  filled  with  tiers  of  leaded  case- 
ments (Plate  5)  separated  both  horizontally  and  verti- 
cally by  mullions.  Again,  the  whole  end  of  a  room 
might  be  filled  by  one  great  bow  window  with  the  mul- 
lion  divisions,  as  in  the  previously  noted  cases.  In  any 
event,  the  mullions  were  an  invariable  as  well  as  a  dis- 
tinctly characteristic  and  decorative  feature.  The  case- 
ments were  glazed  with  small  quarries  or  with  little 
lozenge-shaped  panes  leaded  together.  While  the  lead- 
ing alone  served  as  an  agreeable  decoration,  heraldic 
blasonings  and  other  devices  in  colour,  in  the  centre 
of  a  casement,  were  often  employed  to  lend  additional 
glow  and  interest. 

The  walls  were  panelled  with  small  oaken  panels 
(Plates  3,  4  and  5),  separated  by  broad  stiles  and  rails, 
for  either  their  whole  height  or  else  for  the  greater  part 
of  it,  and  when  any  part  of  the  upper  wall  was  left 
uncoated  with  wainscot  it  was  plastered.  At  the  top 
of  the  panelling  was  often  a  carved  and  moulded  frieze. 
Projections  from  the  panelling,  such  as  door  frames 
and  pilasters,  were  carved  in  low  relief. 

The  fireplace  and  its  superstructure  always  formed 
an  highly  significant  and  much  decorated  feature  of 
the  room.  The  opening  of  the  fireplace  was  of  generous 
size  and  the  surround  was  of  carved  stone  (Plate  4), 
while  the  massive  superstructure  or  chimney  piece 
might  be  either  of  richly  carved  stone  or  of  wood 
(Plate  3)  carved  with  an  equal  degree  of  elaboration. 


PLATE  2 


PLATE  3 


DINING  ROOM  IN  ENGLISH  RENAISSANCE  STYLE  (EARLY  STUART  PHASE) 
Note  Oak  Wainscot  in  Small  Panels,  Carved  Chimney  Piece  and  Moulded  Parge  Ceiling 

Table    Jacobean:    Chairs  Baroque 
Courtesy  of  Mrs.  Lyman  Kendall,  New  York  City 


PLATE  4 


LIVING   ROOM  OF  STUART  TYPE 
Wainscotted  Walla  in  Small  Oak  Panels,  Moulded  Parge  Ceiling  and  Stone  Fireplace 

Trim 
Courtesy  of  Wilson  Eyre  and  Mcllvaine,  Architects 


PLATE  5 


LIVING  ROOM  OF  STUART  TYPE 

Wainscotted  Walls  in  Small  Oak  Panels  and  Moulded  Parge  Ceiling 
Courtesy  of  Wilson  Eyre  and  Mcllvaine,  Architects 


ENGLAND  9 

Whether  of  wood  or  of  stone,  the  further  enrichment 
of  colour  and  gilding  was  often  added.  Equally  sig- 
nificant with  the  fireplace  as  a  conspicuous  Item  in  the 
Elizabethan  and  Stuart  interiors  was  the  staircase,  the 
newel  post  and  the  side  railing  beautifully  carved  and 
fretted,  which  rose  by  broken  flights  and  landings  to 
the  upper  floor,  sometimes  ascending  directly  from  one 
of  the  larger  rooms,  sometimes  from  a  hall  or  gallery. 

Doorways,  too,  were  objects  of  rich  ornamentation 
(Plate  2),  both  at  the  sides,  in  the  shape  of  either 
carved  pilasters  or  semi-engaged  pillars,  and  at  the  top 
with  elaborate  carving  and  moulding,  often  in  the  form 
of  armorial  bearings  with  casque,  mantlings  and  sup- 
porters. In  not  a  few  instances,  the  actual  entrance 
was  surrounded  by  an  elaborately  carved  and  panelled 
screen  extending  from  the  floor  part  way  to  the  ceiling. 
The  door  itself  not  infrequently  bore  the  adornment 
of  wrought-iron  hinges  and  bands  with  scrolls.  The 
floors  were  of  stone,  of  tiles  and  of  wood,  the  latter  being 
most  used.  Occasionally  simple  decorative  devices  were 
essayed  with  stone  or  tile  paving,  but  as  a  rule  the  pav- 
ing was  without  any  pretense  at  ornamentation. 

The  ceilings  were  of  beamed  wood  or  of  plaster  or 
else  there  were  open  timbered  roofs.  The  beamed  ceil- 
ings commonly  displayed  the  amenity  of  chamfering 
and  moulding  on  the  beams  and  frequently  the  addition 
of  carving.  Colour,  too,  was  apt  to  play  a  part  in  the 
decorative  scheme.  Open  timbered  roofs  might  or 
might  not  be  plastered  between  the  timbers  and  char- 
acteristic ornamentation  of  carving  and  colour  some- 
times adorned  the  woodwork,  while  decoration  was  also 
extended  to  the  plaster  surfaces. 

The  plastered  ceilings  were  either  flat  or  barrel 
vaulted  or  coved.  In  some  cases  stucco-duro  or  parge 
(Plates  3  and  4)  ornamentation  was  used  for  the  ceiling 


10  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

and  consistent  decoration  in  the  same  media  extended 
to  a  portion  or  to  the  whole  of  the  wall  surface  above 
the  oak  panelling.  The  over-mantel  decoration,  too, 
often  consisted  of  a  stucco-duro  or  a  parge  composition 
instead  of  carvings  in  stone  or  wood.  The  art  of  work- 
ing in  stucco-duro  was  introduced  into  England  in  the 
time  of  Henry  VIII  and  was  executed  by  Italian  work- 
men who  continued  to  ply  their  craft  during  a  great 
part  of  the  reign  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  and  they  taught 
some  of  the  more  capable  English  artificers  to  work 
after  the  same  fashion.  For  various  reasons,  however, 
the  art  decayed  and  was  eventually  supplanted  by  the 
simpler  substitute  of  parge  work  which,  while  it  res- 
quired  less  skill  of  execution,  was  also  limited  in  the 
scope  of  delicacy  and  the  range  of  motifs  which  might 
be  executed  therein.  The  stucco-duro  ceilings  were 
beautifully  decorated  with  moulded  ribs  and  panels, 
floriations  and  other  devices,  while  the  plaster  portions 
of  walls  above  the  panelling  often  bore  most  intricately 
and  deftly  wrought  friezes  of  hunting  scenes,  mytho- 
logical or  historical  subjects.  The  same  style  of  device 
was  likewise  used  for  an  over-mantel  embellishment 
and  well-moulded  strapwork  was  employed  freely.  It 
was  not  at  all  unusual  further  to  augment  the  decora- 
tive effect  of  this  carefully  wrought  stucco-duro  work 
by  polychrome  treatment  in  tempera  colours. 

After  the  hand  of  the  average  English  plasterer  had 
somewhat  lost  its  cunning  and  it  became  necessary  to 
descend  to  the  cruder  parge  work,  the  modelled  dec- 
oration continued  to  be  applied  in  the  same  places  as 
previously  noted,  but  the  motifs  were  necessarily 
simpler  and  the  execution  far  less  delicate.  For  a  full 
explication  of  stucco-duro  and  parge  work,  for  the 
methods  and  motifs  employed,  and  for  numerous  excel- 
lent illustrations,  the  reader  is  referred  to  George  P. 


ENGLAND  11 

Bankart's  admirable  book,  "The  Art  of  the  Plasterer." 
When  all  the  resources  of  fixed  decoration  just 
enumerated  were  fully  utilised,  the  interior  of  many 
an  Elizabethan  or  Stuart  room  was  so  replete  with 
decorative  variety  and  interest  that  it  gave  the  impres- 
sion of  being  furnished,  even  before  a  stick  of  movable 
furniture  was  put  in  place.  This  fact  deserves  close 
attention  for  the  emphasis  it  lends  to  the  reasonable 
contention  that  interior  decoration  is  not  alone  a  mat- 
ter of  selecting  and  arranging  an  aggregation  of  mov- 
able pieces,  but  comprehends  the  creation  of  an  whole 
and  complete  composition,  a  conception  of  the  art  that 
too  many  are  unfortunately  disposed  to  ignore. 

The  interiors  during  early  Stuart  or  Jacobean  times 
were  substantially  the  same  in  their  principal  features 
as  the  Elizabethan  rooms  already  described.  Certain 
motifs  of  carved  decoration,  such  as  Romayne  work  or 
heads  carved  on  roundels  or  medallions,  fell  out  of 
fashion  while  other  motifs  came  into  vogue.  The  differ- 
ences, however,  were  not  sufficient  to  require  minute 
elucidation  here  and  may  be  satisfactorily  explained  in 
a  subsequent  paragraph.  During  the  Commonwealth 
there  was  little  architectural  or  decorative  activity  and 
it  is  not  until  we  come  to  the  Eestoration  that  we  find 
another  fully  distinct  interior  type  of  a  widely  increas- 
ing prevalence. 

Beginning  with  the  immediate  Restoration  period 
and  thence  onward  to  the  end  of  the  century,  two  sep- 
arate and  well-defined  types  of  interiors  must  be  taken 
into  consideration.  The  one  was  the  type  with  which  we 
are  already  familiar,  substantially  the  same  as  the 
Elizabethan  or  Stuart  interior,  which  came  down  as 
an  heritage  from  the  past  with  only  a  few  minor  evolu- 
tionary modifications ;  the  other  was  a  type  for  which 
we  are  indebted  to  the  agency  of  Inigo  Jones,  followed, 


12  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

after  the  Eestoration,  by  the  work  of  Sir  Christopher 
Wren  and  .his  contemporaries,  who  designed  in  a  vein 
of  much  purer  Renaissance  inspiration  than  was  appar- 
ent in  the  Elizabethan  houses,  the  creations  of  Wren, 
however,  being  perceptibly  tinged  by  a  strong  French 
influence,  while  the  earlier  designs  by  Jones  were  based 
directly  upon  Italian  precedents.  An  infusion  of 
Baroque  interpretation  entered  into  the  composition  of 
this  style  as  well  as  the  basis  of  Renaissance  precedent. 

The  most  signal  points  of  difference  between  the  old 
Elizabethan  and  early  Stuart  type  of  interior  and  that 
of  the  newer  mode  were  that  in  the  houses  of  more 
recent  fashion  the  ceilings  were  higher:  there  was  a 
more  general  regard  for  symmetry  in  the  dimensions  of 
rooms  which,  as  a  rule,  were  now  broader  in  proportion 
to  their  length  than  formerly  and  designed  to  be 
approximately  square  rather  than  oblong :  the  window 
openings  were  taller  and  not  so  wide,  double  hung 
sashes  instead  of  leaded  casements  appeared,  and 
panes  of  glass  considerably  larger  than  the  old  quarries 
and  lozenges,  that  had  been  held  in  place  by  strips  of 
lead,  were  now  set  in  substantial  wooden  muntins :  the 
panelling  of  the  walls — and  this  was  one  of  the  most 
momentous  changes — was  made  with  far  larger  divi- 
sions (Plate  6)  and  the  mouldings  surrounding  the 
panels  were  of  wholly  different  contour  and  far  bolder : 
finally,  in  the  treatment  of  both  the  plaster  ceilings  and 
the  wooden  floors,  the  spaces  involved  were  regarded 
as  opportunities  for  coherent  and  finished  composition 
in  decorative  design  rather  than  as  bare  surfaces  to  be 
covered  with  a  relieving  pattern. 

While  oak  was  still  used  extensively  for  panelling, 
pine,  deal  or  Scottish  fir,  and  even  cedar  were  coming 
rapidly  into  fashion  for  the  same  purpose.  This  was 
the  age  of  Grinling  Gibbon,  when  the  art  of  decorative 


PLATE  6 


DRAWING   ROOM  PANELLED  IN  OAK,   WILLIAM  AND  MARY  PERIOD 

Note    Large    Panels    Defined    by    Raised    Mouldings,    Carved  Door   Trims    (Showing 

Baroque  Influence),  Carved  Cornice  and  Decorated  Plaster  Ceiling 

Courtesy  of  Mrs.  Lyman  Kendall,  New  York  City 


ENGLAND  13 

wood  carving  reached  the  acme  of  perfection.  For  the 
new  style  of  carving  with  all  its  realism,  delicacy  and 
undercutting,  oak  was  too  hard  and  open-grained  a 
medium  to  be  worked  with  the  same  ease  or  with  the 
same  dexterity  of  finish  as  the  other  woods  just  men- 
tioned. Delicate  carving  in  low  relief  was  often  em- 
ployed freely  on  the  mouldings  of  cornices  and  the 
surrounds  of  panels  (Plate  6),  while  for  overdoor 
ornamentation  and  still  more  for  the  enrichment  of  the 
chimney  piece  swags  and  drops  of  flowers,  fruit  and 
foliage,  with  human  figures,  amorini,  baskets,  urns, 
birds  and  other  devices  in  a  free  and  flowing  style,  with 
high  relief  and  much  undercutting,  all  together  consti- 
tuted one  of  the  most  characteristic  aspects  of  the  new 
mode.  These  finely  wrought  carvings  were  often  exe- 
cuted in  lime  or  basswood,  which  admitted  of  even 
more  ingenious  manipulation  than  pine,  deal  or  cedar. 
While  the  beauty  of  the  woods  just  mentioned,  in  their 
natural  state,  was  fully  appreciated,  it  was  also  a  com- 
mon practice  to  paint  all  the  woodwork,  carving  and 
all,  white  or  some  colour  such  as  grey,  greenish  grey  or 
blue  green  and  occasionally  to  apply  gilding  to  mould- 
ings and  portions  of  carving.  This  practice  was  espe- 
cially common  towards  the  end  of  the  century. 

Doorways,  and  very  often  window  casings,  were 
made  the  objects  of  decorative  wood  carving:  fluted 
pilasters  with  carved  capitals,  heavy  cornices  with 
carved  mouldings,  overdoor  embellishments  of  an  archi- 
tectural character  or  panels  with  carved  drops  and 
swags  were  much  used.  The  overmantel  or  chimney 
piece  was  even  to  a  greater  degree  the  object  of  care- 
ful decorative  elaboration.  The  fireplace  surround, 
with  bold  bolection  mouldings,  was  sometimes  of  wood, 
sometimes  of  stone  or  marble.  There  was  no  mantel 
shelf  and  the  chimney  piece,  reaching  all  the  way  to  the 


14  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

ceiling,  consisted  either  of  a  distinctly  architectural 
treatment  in  classic  and  Renaissance  motifs,  sometimes 
with  Baroque  features  also,  or  else  of  a  large  panel  sur- 
rounded with  heavy  mouldings  and  flanked  and  sur- 
mounted with  carved  flower,  fruit  and  foliage  swags  and 
drops  in  the  characteristic  Grinling  Gibbon  manner. 
In  many  instances  -either  a  portrait  or  else  a  decorative 
still  life  painting  would  be  framed  in  the  panel.  This 
empanelling  of  portraits  was  not  confined  to  the  chim- 
ney piece,  but  was  likewise  practised  to  some  extent 
for  the  walls.  Toward  the  end  of  the  century  painted 
panels  for  overdoor  adornment,  too,  came  into  favour 
and  now  and  again  decorative  niches  with  coved  or  shell 
tops,  for  urns,  vases  or  sculpture,  were  introduced  into 
the  panelled  walls  when  there  was  a  good  opportunity 
for  such  symmetrical  composition.  Another  feature  of 
fixed  wall  decoration  also  frequently  resorted  to 
towards  the  end  of  the  century  was  the  setting  of  mir- 
rors into  wall  and  door  panels,  a  device  now  made 
readily  possible  in  England,  as  well  as  the  employment 
of  larger  panes  for  glazing  windows,  by  the  establish- 
ment of  glass  works  at  Lambeth  under  the  patronage 
of  the  Duke  of  Buckingham. 

Just  as  the  panelling  of  the  walls  had  been  propor- 
tioned and  varied  in  size,  according  to  the  space  to  be 
filled  (Plates  6,  7  and  8),  so  also  was  the  ceiling  space 
treated  with  one  consistent  and  sufficient  design  (Plates 
6  and  137)  calculated  to  satisfy  the  whole  area.  Cor- 
nice, corner  and  centre  ornaments  were  conceived  in 
one  mode  and  proportioned  to  the  scale  of  the  room. 
The  devices  used  were  ropes  and  garlands  of  laurel, 
flowers  and  fruit  in  bold  relief  cast  in  plaster  as  dis- 
tinguished from  the  old  siucco-duro  work  and  the  parge 
work  that  succeeded  it,  in  which  latter  the  relief  or  rib- 
bing and  flower  pats  were  comparatively  low  (Plate  3), 


ENGLAND  15 

the  designs  being  worked  in  the  raw  parge  or  plaster 
in  situ.  Colour  and  gilding  were  in  many  instances 
added  to  this  cast  plaster  decoration.  Decorative  paint- 
ings also  often  occurred  in  the  flat  surfaces. 

While  most  of  the  floors  were  of  well-joined  boards 
without  ornamental  device,  the  practice  was  not  un- 
common, in  the  more  elegant  houses,  of  inlaying  or 
parquetting  the  floors  in  patterns  wrought  in  different 
coloured  woods.  In  her  diary,  Celia  Fiennes  alludes 
to  the  floor  in  a  cedar  room,  of  the  Restoration  period, 
" inlay ed  with  cyphers  and  the  coronet."  Geometrical 
patterns  in  divers  coloured  woods  were  likewise  used, 
"  often  radiating  from  a  star  in  the  centre  of  the 
room."  To  some  such  design  Evelyn  evidently  refers 
in  his  Diary  in  an  entry  anent  the  Duke  of  Norfolk's 
"new  palace  at  Weybridge"  when  he  notes  that  "the 
roomes  were  wainscotted  and  some  of  them  parquetted 
with  cedar,  yew,  cypresse,  etc."  He  also  notes  of 
another  house  that  "one  of  the  closets  is  parquetted 
with  plain  deal  set  in  diamond  exceeding  staunch 
and  pretty." 

Furniture  and  Decoration. — During  the  sixteenth 
century  and  the  early  part  of  the  seventeenth  the  arti- 
cles of  furniture  in  common  use  were  somewhat  re- 
stricted in  number.  Chests  of  all  sizes  and  of  all  de- 
grees of  ornamentation  were  to  be  found  everywhere 
and  may  be  regarded  as  the  standard  mobiliary  unit  of 
the  period.  It  was  not  until  the  early  days  of  the 
Stuarts  that  tables  became  really  common;  prior  to 
that  time  long  boards  on  trestles  often  served  in  lieu 
of  the  long,  narrow  refectory  tables  with  heavy  legs, 
underframing  and  stretchers  close  to  the  ground.  The 
wall  furniture  comprised  hanging  cupboards,  credences 
or  buffets  (Plate  136)  and  hutches  in  the  earlier  days 
and,  in  the  greater  houses,  there  were  often  cabinets 


16  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

of  more  or  less  elaboration  in  the  matter  of  carving. 
Bedsteads  with  heavy  carved  posts  supporting  cum- 
brous panelled  and  carved  tops  were  the  most  imposing 
items  of  mobiliary  equipment.  The  seating  furniture 
consisted  mainly  of  backless  benches  or  forms  and  joint 
stools.  Chairs,  most  commonly  with  arms,  panelled 
backs  and  carved  cresting,  were  few  in  number  and  usu- 
ally reserved  for  the  heads  of  families  or  for  guests  of 
honour.  It  was  not  until  the  fore  part  of  the  seven- 
teenth century,  during  the  reigns  of  James  I  and 
Charles  I,  that  there  was  much  variety  in  the  kinds  of 
pieces  in  general  use  or  that  houses  were  furnished  in 
at  all  an  adequate  manner  according  to  our  notions. 
Both  in  the  time  of  Queen  Elizabeth  and  also  through 
the  reigns  of  the  first  two  Stuarts  and  the  Common- 
wealth period  the  furniture,  almost  without  exception, 
was  heavy  in  structure,  robust  in  its  proportions  and 
rectilinear  in  contour,  in  all  of  these  respects  coincid- 
ing very  fully  with  the  architectural  background  (Plate 
136).  So  universally  was  this  the  case  that  the  mobili- 
ary creations  of  the  period  have  been  not  inappropri- 
ately referred  to  as  being,  for  the  most  part,  a  kind  of 
movable  architecture.  While  the  paragraphs  immedi- 
ately following  are  to  be  understood  as  applying  mainly 
to  the  furniture  of  the  first  sixty  years  of  the  seven- 
teenth century,  they  may  be  taken  as  applying  also  to 
the  furniture  of  the  sixteenth  century  so  far  as  the 
pieces  therein  discussed  existed  during  the  earlier 
period.  It  is,  however,  necessary  to  remember  that 
certain  items  of  decorative  detail  and  ornamentation 
that  had  been  characteristic  in  the  time  of  Queen  Eliza- 
beth either  almost  or  entirely  disappeared  very  early 
in  the  reign  of  King  James.  Such  an  item  of  differ- 
ence, for  example,  was  the  "Romayne  work."  This 
consisted  of  human  heads  carved  in  relief  on  roundels 


ENGLAND  17 

or  medallions  and  was  popular  in  the  sixteenth  cen- 
tury but  virtually  disappeared  at  the  beginning  of  the 
seventeenth.  Human  figures  in  ornamentation  also 
dropped  almost  completely  out  of  fashion. 

The  pieces  of  furniture  in  common  use  during  the 
reigns  of  James  I  and  Charles  I  and  the  period  of  the 
Commonwealth  were  cupboards  of  various  sorts,  cab- 
inets, buffets  and  dressers,  chests,  hutches,  bedsteads, 
day-beds,  tables  of  many  varieties  the  most  character- 
istic of  which,  perhaps,  were  the  long  narrow  refectory 
tables,  settles  and  settees,  chairs  both  with  and  with- 
out arms,  forms  or  backless  benches,  joint  stools  and 
footstools.  The  wood  of  which  these  pieces  were  made 
was  almost  invariably  oak,  although  other  less  durable 
woods  were  occasionally  used  for  furniture  in  humbler 
houses.  The  decoration  consisted  of  carving,  panel- 
ling, inlay  or  marqueterie,  painting  and,  towards  the 
middle  of  the  century,  the  application  of  turned  orna- 
ments such  as  oval  bosses,  lozenges,  split  balusters  and 
maces,  and  the  formation  of  intricate  geometrical 
panels  by  means  of  applied  mouldings. 

Carving  of  several  sorts  was  used  (v.  pp.  55  and 
5$,  " Practical  Book  of  Period  Furniture":  Eberlein 
&  McClure),  but  the  most  usual  kind  was  in  low  but 
strong  relief,  often  on  a  sunk  ground.  The  motifs  in- 
cluded strapwork,  diaperwork,  guilloche  patterns, 
lunettes,  tulips,  hearts,  roses  and  rosettes,  acanthus 
leaves,  foliated  and  floriated  scrolls,  grapevines  with 
fruit  and  leaves,  gadrooning,  channelling,  reeding, 
fluting,  nulling,  lozenges,  laurelling,  palmated  chains, 
pomegranates,  notching,  "jewelling,"  geometrical  de- 
signs and  similar  devices,  all  of  which  were  practically 
echoes  of  the  motifs  employed  in  connexion  with  the 
panelling  or  in  the  embellishment  of  one  or  another 
part  of  the  fixed  woodwork. 
2 


18  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

The  inlay  or  marqueterie  of  divers  coloured  woods 
and  bone  was  of  simple  but  effective  execution  and 
generally  showed  an  adaptation  of  some  of  the  motifs 
already  mentioned.  The  aid  of  colour  was  more  fre- 
quently resorted  to  than  many  imagine.  The  carved 
headboards  and  panelled  canopies  of  the  bedsteads 
were  often  enriched  with  heraldic  blasonings  and  the 
same  form  of  ornamentation  was  also  applied  in  other 
places.  There  was  comparatively  little  upholstered 
furniture  and  such  as  there  was  in  the  early  part  of  the 
century  may  usually  be  traced  to  a  Continental  origin ; 
after  the  principles  of  the  Commonwealth  had  swept 
aside  tradition  regarding  the  use  of  chairs  and  they 
had  become  plentiful,  we  find  both  seats  and  backs  fre- 
quently covered  with  either  leather  or  '  *  Turkey  work. ' ' 
For  a  full  discussion  of  all  the  furniture  during  the  first 
sixty  years  of  the  seventeenth  century,  the  reader  is 
referred  to  Chapter  II,  "Practical  Book  of  Period 
Furniture":  Eberlein  &  McClure. 

With  the  access  of  new  and  varied  influences  attend- 
ing the  Restoration  and  profoundly  affecting  cultural 
conditions  during  the  rest  of  the  century,  there  was 
not  only  a  vast  growth  in  the  taste  for  luxurious  and 
ample  household  furnishings  but  also  a  perceptible 
increase  in  the  kinds  of  articles  that  came  into  com- 
mon use.  While  the  furniture  of  former  days  con- 
tinued in  use  along  with  the  newer  types  in  a  majority 
of  the  houses,  and  while  the  former  styles  continued  to 
be  copied  in  country  districts,  the  new  modes  exercised 
a  far-reaching  and  modifying  effect,  completely  trans- 
formed and  enriched  the  average  interior  where  they 
had  been  adopted  along  with  the  substantial  residuum 
of  earlier  equipment,  and  in  houses  where  only  le  der- 
nier crl  of  fashion  was  heeded  to  the  exclusion  of  all 
previous  vogue — as  in  the  establishments  of  some  of 


ENGLAND  19 

the  king's  mistresses — produced  a  revolution  in  the  art 
of  interior  decoration. 

In  addition  to  the  tale  of  articles  previously  set 
forth  as  usual  items  of  equipment,  we  must  now  men- 
tion chests  of  drawers  on  stands,  highboys  and  low- 
boys, cabinets  with  doors  on  high  stands,  Chinese  lac- 
quered cabinets,  with  or  without  doors,  on  carved 
stands,  chests  of  drawers  without  stands,  desks  or 
bureaux,  bureau  bookcases,  presses,  bookcases,  mirrors, 
tall  case  clocks  and  a  great  assortment  of  small  tables 
for  one  special  purpose  or  another.  In  the  matter  of 
contour,  we  may  note  that  while  the  old  rectilinear  prin- 
ciple continued  to  be  strongly  felt,  the  curvilinear  in- 
fluence made  its  appearance  and  rapidly  gained  favour. 
This  curvilinear  influence  manifested  itself  plainly  in 
Baroque  tendencies  and  we  have  such  plentiful  ex- 
amples as  scrolled  legs,  hooded  tops  to  cabinet  work, 
curved  contours  of  chair  backs  in  the  Portuguese 
fashion  and  the  beginnings  of  cabriole  leg  dominance. 

The  decorative  processes  employed  included  carv- 
ing, painting  and  gilding  or  parcel  gilding,  veneering, 
inlay  and  marqueterie  and  lacquering.  The  vogue  for 
lacquered  furniture  became  a  positive  passion  and  not 
only  did  the  importation  of  numerous  Oriental  pieces 
indicate  a  potent  infusion  of  "the  Chinese  taste"  in 
interior  decoration,  but  the  rage  for  this  species  of  poly- 
chrome embellishment  led  amateurs  to  engage  exten- 
sively in  the  process  and  the  results  of  their  endeav- 
ours often  achieved  an  high  degree  of  excellence.  The 
style  of  carving  that  now  came  into  fashion  was  real- 
istic and  wholly  different  from  the  methods  that  had 
previously  prevailed.  Much  elaborately  carved  or 
turned  furniture  was  made  of  pine,  lime,  beech,  birch 
and  other  soft  woods  and  then  painted  and  parcel  gilt 
or  wholly  gilded.  The  art  of  veneering  was  developed 


20  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

to  an  extent  hitherto  unknown  and  produced  admirable 
results  in  whose  composition  were  considered  not  only 
the  pleasing  effects  to  be  gained  from  the  contrasting 
colours  of  different  woods  but  also  the  divers  agreeable 
effects  of  grain  and  the  pattern,  employed.  Akin  to 
veneering,  but  involving  greater  scope  for  the  exercise 
of  decorative  design  and  the  properties  of  multi-col- 
oured woods,  was  the  process  of  marqueterie  which,  in 
England,  reached  the  high-water  mark  of  its  most  skill- 
ful expression  towards  the  end  of  the  century.  The 
value  of  upholstery  as  a  decorative  accessory  was  now 
fully  understood  and  a  great  many  chairs,  settees  and 
stools  were  covered  with  needlework  of  gros  point  and 
petit  point,  with  velvets  and  brocades,  with  silks  and 
even  with  printed  linens  and  chintzes. 

Other  Decorative  Accessories  and  Movable  Decora- 
tions.— In  no  country  has  skillful  needlework  ever  com- 
manded more  sincere  admiration  or  counted  a  greater 
number  of  proficient  devotees  than  in  England.  It  is 
not  surprising,  therefore,  during  the  sixteenth  and  sev- 
enteenth centuries  to  learn  of  the  high  esteem  in  which 
the  decorative  products  of  the  loom  and  of  the  em- 
broidery frame  were  held  and  of  the  extent  to  which 
they  were  utilised  in  the  adornment  of  houses.  Allusion 
has  already  been  made  to  the  2600  tapestries  which 
Henry  VIII  had  in  his  possession.  Nor  was  he  by  any 
means  alone  as  a  collector.  England  was  always  re- 
garded, as  a  good  market  for  Continental  tapestries  and 
an  enormous  number  crossed  the  Channel  to  be  hung 
up  in  English  halls  and  bring  brilliant  colour  into 
sombre  oak-panelled  rooms.  During  the  reign  of 
James  I  the  Mortlake  looms  were  set  up  and  the  expor- 
tation of  English-made  tapestries  from  the  island  was 
several  times  forbidden. 

Besides  numerous  tapestries  a  great  many  other 


ENGLAND  21 

hangings  were  used  to  liven  the  walls;  velvets  with 
applique  devices,  embroideries,  and  large  pieces  of  the 
curious  multi-coloured  zig-zag  needle\vork  which  we  are 
accutsomed  to  associate  with  upholstered  seats  and 
chair  backs  rather  than  with  the  adornment  of  walls. 
When  we  remember  that  needlework  was  one  of  the 
principal  occupations  of  ladies  of  position  and  quality, 
we  can  more  readily  understand  the  abundance  of  this 
sort  of  decoration.  Besides  the  hangings  for  doors  and 
windows,  which  were  often  enriched  with  embroidery, 
there  were  the  bed  hangings  and  bedspreads  by  which 
so  much  store  was  set  that  they  wiere  specifically  be- 
queathed by  will  as  important  items  of  inheritance. 
These  hangings  and  spreads  were  not  only  made  of 
costly  material,  but  were  enriched  with  the  most  lavish 
and  exquisite  needlework  as  well.  In  the  simpler  rooms 
window  hangings  and  bed  hangings  were  occasionally 
of  printed  linen  with  striking  patterns  and  brilliant 
colouring. 

In  addition  to  the  woven  and  embroidered  hangings 
that  decked  the  walls  of  oak-panelled  rooms,  another 
resource  for  polychrome  decoration  was  to  be  found  in 
the  stamped,  tooled,  coloured  and  sometimes  gilded 
leather  that  was  hung  or  else  fastened  tight  upon  the 
wall  surface.  Other  wall  adornments  no  less  effective 
were  portraits  and  occasionally  other  paintings.  When 
neither  paintings  nor  hangings  graced  the  wall,  the  sur- 
face was  oftentimes  relieved  by  antlers,  heads,  fox 
masques  and  other  trophies  of  the  chase. 

Of  course,  there  were  numerous  small  accessories 
such  as  candlesticks,  sconces,  candelabra,  and  fire  dogs, 
the  last  named  of  which  were  often  large  and  of  im- 
posing design.  Besides  these,  such  objects  as  silver  and 
pewter  tankards,  bowls  and  platters,  pieces  of  brass 
and  copper,  the  small  brass  fireside  ornaments  and 


22  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

fittings  and  brass  bracket  clocks  lent  welcome  spots 
of  interest  and  lustre. 

While  many  of  the  floors  were  strewn  with  rushes, 
especially  in  the  fore  part  of  the  period  under  con- 
sideration, it  was  not  at  all  unusual  to  have  rugs  made 
of  rushes  woven  by  hand.  In  the  wealthier  houses 
Oriental  rugs  were  by  no  means  unknown. 

After  the  Restoration  curtains  and  draperies  as- 
sumed an  importance  in  the  scheme  of  furnishing 
(Plate  1)  previously  unknown  in  England.  The  most 
splendid  fabrics  imported  from  Venice  and  Genoa,  and 
afterwards  made  in  England,  were  used  for  this  pur- 
pose. Curiously  enough,  although  the  Mortlake  looms 
continued  in  operation  during  the  Restoration  period 
and  tapestries  were  still  imported  from  the  Continent, 
the  vogue  for  this  particular  sort  of  wall  decoration 
somewhat  languished  and  abated  in  use  and  manu- 
facture, in  large  measure,  no  doubt,  owing  to  the  new 
styles  of  decoration  by  means  of  more  pretentious  pan- 
elling, the  use  of  niches,  and  the  inserting  of  decorative 
paintings  as  panels  and  overdoor  embellishments — a 
change  for  which  Wren  and  his  school  were  to  a  great 
extent  responsible.  Bed  hangings  and  bedspreads 
maintained  their  wonted  hold  on  public  taste.  Linens 
and  calicoes  printed  in  gay  colours  and  fascinating  de- 
signs, many  of  them  of  Oriental  origin,  took  the  place 
of  the  more  expensive  fabrics  for  draperies  and  hang- 
ings in  rooms  of  simpler  equipment. 

Mention  has  already  been  made  of  the  use  of  mir- 
rors set  in  the  panelling  as  a  means  of  wall  decoration. 
Mirrors  in  wonderfully  wrought  frames  were  no  less 
esteemed  as  an  effective  factor  in  furnishing  elegantly. 
Since  the  establishment  of  glass  works  at  Lambeth  and 
Greenwich  it  had  become  possible  to  obtain  the  best 
glass  and  of  a  much  larger  size  than  formerly  and  Eng- 
lish decorators  were  not  slow  to  avail  themselves  of 


ENGLAND  23 

this  new  resource.  Some  of  the  mirror  frames  were 
made  of  coloured,  bevelled  and  engraved  glass  and 
were  exceedingly  rich  in  appearance.  This  glass  of 
excellent  quality  was  also  turned  to  account  in  making 
large,  cut  lustres  or  crystals  for  the  admirably  designed 
chandeliers  and  sconces  that  now  became  common. 
Other  chandeliers  were  made  of  brass,  of  iron  embel- 
lished with  colour  and  gilding  and  of  wood  painted  and 
parcel  gilt. 

Paintings,  both  portraits  and  pictures  of  a  decora- 
tive character,  afforded  a  constantly  used  resource. 
And  to  all  this  rich  array,  we  must  add  the  colour  and 
grace  of  form  conveyed  by  the  Oriental  porcelains  the 
collection  of  which  had  become  not  only  a  fashionable 
hobby  but  an  absolute  passion  among  the  people  at 
large.  Here,  again,  the  power  of  Chinoiserie  showed 
itself  plainly  in  the  history  of  decoration.  The  Dutch 
were  not  slow  to  emulate  the  Chinese  and  their  Delft 
soon  came  to  hold  nearly  as  high  a  place  in  the  esteem 
of  English  people.  What  with  porcelains,  lacquer  and 
other  odds  and  ends  of  Eastern  luxuries  that  constantly 
found  their  way  into  England,  Oriental  influence  made 
a  deep  impression  on  the  modes  of  the  period. 

Materials  and  Colour. — Up  to  the  end  of  the  Com- 
monwealth period  oak  had  been  the  staple  wood  of  Eng- 
land  for   all   purposes   architectural   and   mobiliary, 
although,  of  course,  there  were  plenty  of  occasional  de- 
partures from  this  precedent  and  exceptions  to  the  rule. 
Nevertheless,  the  period  mentioned  must  be  considered 
par  excellence  the  1 1  age  of  oak. ' '    About  the  time  of  the 
Restoration  walnut  came  into  popular  use,  being  partly 
imported  and  partly  derived  from  native  sources  whir1 
became  plentifully  available  at  this  time.    In  addition 
to  walnut,  which  may  be  considered  the  staple  wood  f  o 
fine  furniture  after  the  Restoration,  other  woods  wer< 
employed  for  inlay  and  marqueterie  purposes  and  o.- 


24  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

continued  to  have  an  accepted  position,  especially  in 
country  districts. 

Owing  to  the  revocation  of  the  Edict  of  Nantes  and, 
to  some  extent,  to  a  certain  tide  of  immigration  into 
England  before  that  event,  great  numbers  of  silk  work- 
ers came  over  from  France  and  began  to  ply  their  craft 
in  England.  They  soon  made  brocades  and  velvets  the 
equals  in  gorgeous  colour,  graceful  pattern  and  excel- 
lent texture  of  the  fabrics  that  had  previously  been 
imported  in  vast  quantities  from  Venice  and  Genoa. 

Throughout  the  whole  of  the  sixteenth  and  seven- 
teenth centuries  the  English  colour  sense  was  fresh 
and  vigorous  (Plate  1)  and,  despite  the  somewhat 
sombre  hue  of  oak  panelled  walls,  English  interiors 
did  not  lack  for  colour  and  plenty  of  it.  This  passion 
for  colour  reached  its  culmination  in  the  latter  part  of 
the  seventeenth  century,  so  that  by  1700  the  country  was 
in  a  very  riot  of  rich,  virile,  scintillating  colour,  a  con- 
dition that  was  perfectly  compatible  with  good  taste 
because  the  massive,  strong,  and  rather  dark  back- 
grounds of  the  architectural  setting  made  such  treat- 
ment not  only  permissible  but  absolutely  necessary. 

Arrangement. — During  the  earlier  part  of  this 
period  the  architectural  arrangement  was  rather  fortu- 
itous than  formal,  and  the  arrangement  of  the  furniture 
units  was  much  the  same.  The  units  themselves  were 
not  overly  numerous,  so  that  it  was  not  difficult  to  place 
the  important  pieces  in  the  broad  spaces  where  they 
would  be  most  effective.  The  fireplace,  of  course,  was 
always  a  centre  about  which  a  number  of  movables 
would  naturally  be  grouped. 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  seventeenth  century  furni- 
ture items  were  far  more  numerous  and  notions  of  sym- 
metrical arrangement,  brought  back  by  the  refugees, 
imparted  to  the  rooms  an  aspect  of  orderly  and  bal- 
anced composition. 


CHAPTER  II 

INTERIOR  DECORATION  IN  ENGLAND  AND 
AMERICA  DURING  THE  EIGHTEENTH  CEN- 
TURY AND  THE  FIRST  THREE  DECADES  OF 
THE  NINETEENTH 

/NTRODUCTION.—In  England  and  America,  the 
eighteenth  century  and  the  first  three  decades  of 
the  nineteenth,  which  really  belong  to  the  pre- 
ceding century  through  stylistic  affinities  and  as  a 
directly  logical  outcome  of  influences  well  under  way 
before  the  year  1800,  constitute  a  period  of  the  greatest 
complexity  as  well  as  of  the  greatest  interest.  It  will 
be  understood  that  what  is  said  in  this  chapter  applies 
to  the  American  Colonies  and  the  infant  republic,  after 
its  severance  from  the  Mother  Country,  as  well  as  to 
England.  But  it  must  also  be  distinctly  understood 
that  all  the  evolutions  of  the  styles  considered  reached 
their  full  and  richest  fruition  only  in  England  and  that 
they  were  reflected  in  America  in  less  elaborate  render- 
ings. This  statement  does  not  mean  to  asperse  in  the 
slightest  degree  the  culture  or  taste  on  our  own  side  of 
the  Atlantic,  but  the  estates  that  were  able  to  support 
the  expense  of  the  highest  decorative  achievements  of 
the  age  were  comparatively  few  in  number,  and  although 
there  were  not  wanting  instances  of  the  greatest  ele- 
gance and  most  lavish  expenditure  in  furnishing  of 
various  town  houses  in  Philadelphia,  in  Boston,  in 
Charleston  and  New  York,  and  of  some  country  houses 
in  Pennsylvania,  Maryland,  Virginia  and  South  Caro- 
lina, the  majority  of  people,  from  force  of  circum- 
stances, were  obliged  to  be  content  with  the  simpler 

25 


26  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

though  not  less  admirable  interpretation  of  modes  that 
attained  an  hitherto  unparallelled  development  in  the 
British  Isles. 

At  the  very  beginning  of  the  eighteenth  century  we 
have  the  heritage  of  Baroque  inspiration  remaining 
over  from  the  seventeenth  century.  Following  close 
upon  it  came  the  severe  and  somewhat  heavy  classicism 
of  which  Kent  was  the  chief  est  and  most  able  exponent. 
With  the  middle  of  the  century  we  find  an  utterly  new  in- 
fluence that  was  expressed  in  England  by  the  Brothers 
Adam  and  those  that  followed  in  their  wake,  and  in 
France,  a  little  later,  by  the  architects  and  designers 
who  imparted  to  the  style  we  know  familiarly  as  "  Louis 
Seize"  its  peculiar  grace  and  refinement. 

The  Adam  influence  was  of  classic  derivation  as  was 
also  the  heavier  scheme  of  interpretation  practised  by 
the  Kentian  school,  but  it  expressed  classicism  in  its 
more  attenuated  and  refined  forms  and  laid  emphasis, 
as  a  rule,  rather  upon  the  elegancies  of  decoration  than 
upon  the  bold  masses  and  the  marshalling  of  vigorous 
structural  or  semi-structural  members  by  way  of  em- 
bellishment. Adam  delicacy,  in  turn,  was  in  course  of 
time  supplanted  by  the  robust  and  often  severe  forms  of 
the  Classic  Eevival,  in  which  the  sterner  Greek  modes 
and  the  more  heroic  Eoman  phases  that  at  times  sav- 
oured of  bombast  were  stressed  with  insistence. 

Besides  all  these  well-defined  influences,  there  was 
"the  Chinese  taste,"  which  recurred  again  and  again 
in  one  form  or  another  throughout  the  century,  adding 
its  charm  to  the  manifold  factors  that  contributed  to 
make  the  eighteenth  century  one  of  the  most  opulent  as 
well  as  varied  decorative  epochs  in  English  history. 

Architectural  Background  and  Methods  of  Fixed 
Decoration. — One  fact  of  tremendous  importance  in  the 
art  of  interior  decoration  has  already  been  noted  in 


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ENGLAND  AND  AMERICA  27 

the  Foreword,  but  too  much  stress  cauuot  be  laid  upon 
it,  and  we  therefore  repeat  it  here.  That  fact  is 
that  interior  decoration  does  not  consist  merely  of 
selection  and  arrangement  of  movable  furniture  and 
garnishings;  the  architectural  background  and  the  fixed 
decorations  are  every  whit  as  vitally  essential  to  a  suc- 
cessful and  complete  composition,  and  it  is  impossible 
to  attach  too  much  emphasis  to  this  truth,  a  truth  that 
some  professional  decorators  too  often  minimise  while 
not  a  few  amateurs  are  even  more  prone  to  ignore  it. 
In  Part  III  special  attention  is  paid  to  the  treatment  of 
plain  walls  where  the  occupancy  of  rented  quarters, 
apartments  and  the  like  makes  it  impracticable  to  eff ect 
far-reaching  structural  changes  in  the  background. 
In  the  paragraphs  that  follow,  special  attention  will  be 
devoted  to  an  analysis  of  backgrounds  and  fixed 
decorations. 

The  opening  years  of  the  eighteenth  century  wit- 
nessed virtually  the  same  features  of  interior  architec- 
ture as  were  in  vogue  during  the  last  years  of  the  seven- 
teenth century,  features  of  which,  however,  we  shall 
now  give  a  somewhat  more  detailed  description.  There 
were  spacious,  high-ceilinged  rooms,  symmetrically  de- 
signed with  window  and  door  openings  so  disposed  as 
to  contribute  to  the  air  of  regularity.  The  window  open- 
ings were  large  and  high,  while  their  trims  were  often 
made  the  objects  of  formal  ornamentation.  Doorways 
also  shared  a  distinctly  decorative  and  usually  archi- 
tectural treatment,  traces  of  Baroque  influence  being 
more  or  less  discernible  in  such  features  as  continuous 
segmental  pediments  or  interrupted  pediments  with 
urns.  (Plate?.) 

The  panels  of  the  walls  were  large  (Plates  7  and  8) 
and  were  often  bounded  by  boldly  profiled  (Plate  138) 
bolection  mouldings.  In  size  the  panels  were  graduated 


28  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

according  to  the  parts  of  the  room ;  shallow  and  broad 
panels  would  be  placed  between  door  or  window  heads 
and  the  cornice,  tall  and  narrow  panels  between  win- 
dows, a  single  panel  for  the  chimney  piece  (Plate  137), 
whatever  its  dimensions  and  shape  might  be,  while  the 
ordinary  wall  panels  were  of  generous  proportions. 
Elaborate  naturalistic  carving  of  foliage,  fruits,  flowers 
and  figures  in  swags  and  drops  (Plate  137),  wrought 
in  high  relief  or  undercut  in  the  manner  of  Grinling 
Gibbon,  were  still  used  and  were  supplemented  in  many 
instances  by  sundry  supporting  architectural  scrolls 
and  by  conventional  motifs  in  low  relief,  such  as  acan- 
thus foliage  on  a  cyma  moulding  (Plate  6),  classic  laur- 
elling, and  all  their  well-known  affinities. 

Very  fully  developed  and  elaborate  cornices  adorned 
such  rooms,  and  the  plaster  coves  and  ceilings,  wrought 
with  the  utmost  dexterity  of  the  plasterer's  art,  echoed 
the  flowers,  fruit,  foliage  (Plate  137)  and  figures  to  be 
seen  in  the  decorative  wood  carving.  The  floors,  while 
usually  of  plain  boards,  not  infrequently  exhibited  par- 
quetted  patterns,  in  the  manner  already  mentioned  in 
the  preceding  chapter,  or  else  a  device  in  chequered 
tiles  of  stone  or  marble. 

It  is  safe  to  say  that  there  was  never  a  time  when 
interior  architectural  woodwork  was  carried  to  an 
higher  point  of  development  or  displayed  more  admir- 
able characteristics.  Even  in  the  simpler  houses,  where 
three  of  the  walls  of  a  room  would  ordinarily  be  plas- 
tered, there  was  almost  invariably  some  well-propor- 
tioned panelling  above  the  fireplace  or  even  covering  a 
greater  part  of  the  whole  of  the  wall  on  that  side  of  the 
room.  For  many  of  the  elaborately  carved  and  pan- 
elled interiors,  the  wood  used  was  oak,  cedar,  deal  or 
pine.  The  oak  and  cedar  were  left  unpainted ;  deal  was 
sometimes  merely  waxed,  or  slightly  stained  and  waxed, 


ENGLAND  AND  AMERICA  29 

and  sometimes  painted;  while  pine  was  ordinarily 
painted,  although  not  invariably,  and,  when  left  in  its 
natural  state,  assumed  a  mellow  golden  brown  tone 
from  the  action  of  the  atmosphere.  In  at  least  one  in- 
stance known  to  the  authors,  the  panelling  of  a  late 
seventeenth  century  house  in  Pennsylvania,  belonging 
architecturally,  however,  to  the  category  under  discus- 
sion, consisted  of  pine  and  poplar  together.  Neither 
paint  nor  stain  of  any  kind  were  ever  used  upon  it 
and  all  of  the  wood  took  on  a  rich  ginger  brown  hue  of 
great  beauty. 

When  the  panelling  was  painted,  white,  which  was 
much  favoured  in  Holland  at  the  time,  was  sometimes 
used,  but  by  no  means  so  universally  as  many  people 
seem  to  imagine.  Grey,  grey  green,  buff,  brown,  pale 
yellow,  blue,  green  and  green  blues  of  great  beauty  were 
in  common  use  and  imparted  a  richness  and  warmth 
that  strongly  commend  a  wider  employment  of  similar 
treatments  at  the  present  day.  These  painted  interiors 
were  very  commonly  further  embellished  with  gilding 
applied  to  mouldings  and  carving.* 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  seventeenth  century,  as  pre- 
viously stated,  the  taste  for  lacquer  became  a  positive 
passion.  Much  lacquer  was  imported  from  the  East, 
but  the  importations  could  not  begin  to  supply  the  de- 
mand ;  much  furniture  was  lacquered  both  by  artisans 
and  by  amateurs,  who  regarded  skill  in  this  direction 

*  At  Graeme  Park,  Horsham,  Pennsylvania,  for  instance,  the  home 
of  Sir  William  Keith,  the  first  coat  of  paint  given  the  woodwork  was 
a  greenish  grey,  and  no  other  colour  has  ever  since  adorned  the  panelling 
and  the  door  and  window  trims.  At  Stenton,  Northern  Liberties,  in 
Philadelphia,  the  home  of  James  Logan,  on  the  other  hand,  "  the  taste 
of  the  occupants  dictated  a  change  of  colour  from  time  to  time  and  we 
find  a  good  deal  of  variety  in  the  successive  coats  "  of  paint.  For  these 
instances  and  other  observations  anent  the  practice  in  America  v.  "  The 
Architecture  of  Colonial  America,"  p.  149:  Harold  Donaldson  Eber- 
lein;  Little,  Brown  &  Co.,  Boston,  1915.  See  also  "Architectural 
Record,"  passim. 


30  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

as  an  eligible  and  polite  accomplishment.  The  vogue 
for  lacquer  endured  throughout  the  reign  of  Queen 
Anne  and  even  lasted  for  some  time  afterwards.  What 
with  the  universal  admiration  for  lacquer  in  an  espe- 
cially colour-loving  epoch,  and  the  very  considerable 
proficiency  in  lacquer  processes  attained  by  British 
craftsmen,  it  is  not  surprising  to  find  lacquered  decora- 
tion occasionally  extended  to  the  fixed  woodwork  in 
rooms  and  not  reserved  solely  as  a  method  of  mobiliary 
embellishment.  It  is  worth  noting  that  this  architec- 
tural employment  of  lacquer  has  been  revived  in  a  few 
instances  and  on  a  limited  scale  in  our  own  time,  with 
admirable  results. 

In  the  more  sumptuous  interiors  of  this  type,  the 
fireplace  surrounds  and  facings  were  of  carefully 
chosen  marble  or  stone,  while  in  the  simpler  interiors 
the  surrounds  were  of  wood  and  the  facings  frequently 
of  glazed  tiles,  sometimes  plain,  but  more  usually  of 
Delft  make  with  monochrome  blue  or  rose  devices  or 
else  with  polychrome  decorations.  The  surround  com- 
monly consisted  of  a  bold  bolection  moulding  and  there 
was  generally  no  mantel  shelf  or  else  only  a  very  nar- 
row one. 

The  fixed  decorations  were  rich  and  adequate.  There 
were  mirrors  empanelled  in  the  walls  or  set  in  the  doors, 
decorative  paintings  set  in  panels  over  doorways,  in 
chimney  pieces  and  in  central  positions  on  the  sides  of 
walls.  There  were  cupboards  (Plate  7)  built  into  the 
woodwork,  usually  in  corners,  with  coved  tops  care- 
fully scalloped  and  enriched  with  carving  and  some- 
times parcel  gilt,  or  with  smooth  surfaces  in  the  coving 
covered  with  decorative  painting.  Coves  and  the  flat 
surfaces  of  ceilings,  likewise,  in  addition  to  the  rich  cast 
plaster  reliefs,  were  often  adorned  with  paintings. 

When  the  walls  were  not  fully  panelled,  they  were 


PLATE  8 


PLATE  9 


DINING  ROOM  OF  GEORGIAN  TYPE  WITH  HEPPLEWHITE 

FURNITURE  AND  ADAM  SIDEBOARD 

Panelled  Walls  Painted  a  Grey  Green 

Courtesy  of  Edward  Browning,  Esq. 


PLATE  10 


PLATE  11 


ADAM  DOOR  AND  OVER  DOOR 

DECORATION 
Courtesy  of  Mr.  Karl  Freund 


ENGLAND  AND  AMERICA  31 

sometimes* painted,  sometimes  covered  with  wall  paper 
in  highly  decorative  and  bright-coloured  patterns,  and 
sometimes  hung  with  rich  fabrics  tacked  tightly  in  place. 
Occasionally  the  panels  of  the  doors  themselves  were 
embellished  with  mirrors  or  with  decorative  paintings. 

Sconces,  lanthorns  and  chandeliers  of  varied  forms 
in  plain  brass,  in  wrought-iron  painted  and  parcel  gilt, 
in  wood  richly  carved  and  gilt  or  painted  and  parcel 
gilt,  and  in  brass  or  cut  glass  profusely  hung  with 
crystals  added  greatly  to  the  rich  effect  of  the  per- 
manent background. 

Such  were  the  possibilities  and  characteristics  of 
the  fixed  architectural  interior  settings  during  the  reign 
of  Queen  Anne  and  in  the  years  immediately  following 
her  demise. 

Early  in  the  Georgian  period,  under  the  influence  of 
such  men  as  James  Gibbs,  Sir  John  Vanbrugh,  Sir  Wil- 
liam Chambers  and,  above  all,  Sir  William  Kent,  there 
was  a  clearly  marked  departure  from  the  freedom  and 
flexibility  of  architectural  and  decorative  interpreta- 
tion, as  practised  by  Sir  Christopher  Wren  and  his 
immediate  school,  and  a  reversion  to  what  was  fancied 
to  be  a  purer  and  more  scholarly  presentation  of  classic 
principles  as  set  forth  by  the  great  architectural  expon- 
ents of  the  Italian  Renaissance.  For  this  reason  the 
work  of  Inigo  Jones  evoked  a  renewed  measure  of 
praise  and  admiration  but,  quite  apart  from  any  enthu- 
siasm for  the  achievements  of  earlier  Engish  archi- 
tects, the  men  of  the  day,  one  and  all,  placed  themselves 
at  the  feet  of  Vitruvius,  Vignola  and  Palladio  and  fol- 
lowed the  precepts  of  these  great  men  of  the  past  with 
the  most  meticulous  and  sometimes  simian  precision. 
To  the  votaries  of  the  new  school  Palladio  was  espe- 
cially dear  and  they  so  generally  accepted  him  as  their 
standard  and  so  glorified  his  work  and  precepts  that 


32  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

they  "  raised  him  in  their  time  almost  to  the  position  of 
a  demigod."  Actuated  as  they  were  by  this  narrow 
and  almost  fanatical  admiration  for  merely  one  individ- 
ual 's  explication  of  classicism,  it  is  scarcely  to  be  won- 
dered at  that  they  were  "unreasonably  prejudiced 
against  the  work  of  the  Wren  period  by  the  discovery 
that,  although  classic  in  principle,  the  rules  laidf  down 
by  the  great  architects  of  the  Italian  Renaissance  had 
by  no  means  been  strictly  adhered  to. ' '  This  attitude, 
quite  apart  from  any  other  agency,  explains  in  large 
measure  * '  the  prejudice  that  existed  against  Sir  Chris- 
topher at  the  close  of  his  brilliant  career  and  the  exal- 
tation of  the  earlier  work  of  Inigo  Jones. ' '  Wren  had 
both  displayed  a  perceptible  tinge  of  French  influence 
and  also  shown  not  a  little  personal  independence  in  his 
interpretations,  and  this  damned  him  in  the  eyes  of 
the  early  Georgian  purists  who  "accepted  so  fervently 
the  principles  of  Italian  classicism  as  the  only  form  of 
true  culture  that  all  buildings  which  exhibited  varia- 
tions were  regarded  by  them  as  beneath  notice  or  con- 
sideration. "  In  their  zeal  of  archaBlogical  solicitude — 
to  quote  Sir  Horace  Walpole,  architecture  had  "re- 
sumed all  her  rights"  and  buildings  were  designed  "in 
the  purest  style  of  antique  composition" — they,  of  ten 
produced  work  that  savoured  of  pedantry  and  missed 
the  spontaneous  inspiration  and  elastic  quality  neces- 
sary to  give  it  the  vital  significance  of  an  understanding 
contemporary  expression. 

At  the  same  time,  while  the  spirit  of  classic  purism 
was  dominant,  there  were  numerous  successful  and 
acceptable  adventures  into  the  realm  of  Baroque  design, 
as  witnessed,  for  instance,  by  some  of  the  creations  of 
James  Gibbs,  but  it  was  restrained  and  chastened  Ba- 
roque, conceived  and  executed  in  the  light  of  classic 
severity.  Notwithstanding  the  rigidity  of  ideals  and 


ENGLAND  AND  AMERICA  33 

the  conscientious  exactitude  with  which  the  foremost 
architects  held  themselves  to  precedent,  a  great  propor- 
tion of  the  early  Georgian  work  possessed  merit  of  an 
high  order  and  exhibited  both  dignity  and  charm.  It  is 
an  enduring  memorial  to  the  skill  and  good  taste  of  the 
designers  and  also  equally  a  striking  testimony  to  the 
intelligence  and  appreciation  of  a  clientele  that  made 
possible  the  realisation  of  such  designs.  It  was,  indeed, 
a  golden  age  of  appreciative  interest  and  liberal  pa- 
tronage on  the  part  of  wealthy  laymen  in  the  persons 
of  the  great  nobles  and  landed  gentry,  who  found  that 
the  " court  of  the  first  two  Georges  offered"  them  few 
attractions  and  that  there  was  little  * '  scope  for  compe- 
tion  in  politics  during  the  long  and  all-powerful  sway 
of  Walpole."  Furthermore,  in  the  entire  absence  of 
foreign  hostilities,  there  were  no  openings  for  gaining 
distinction  in  military  or  naval  careers  and,  conse- 
quently, "it  would  seem  that  numbers  of  these  great 
nobles  and  men  of  leisure  embraced  the  study  of  art 
as  the  principal  occupation  of  their  lives.  The  par- 
ticular branch  of  art  which  interested  them  most 
keenly  was  the  pure  classic  architecture  of  Ancient 
Rome,"  and  their  extensive  diversions  in  this  field  of 
research  rendered  them  both  capable  critics  and  en- 
thusiastic patrons. 

The  interiors  of  the  great  houses  then  erected  dis- 
played a  sense  of  architectural  composition  that  has 
never  been  surpassed  in  English  domestic  building  and 
even  the  less  pretentious  dwellings  of  the  period  clearly 
reflected  the  prevailing  sense  of  symmetry  and  archi- 
tectural amenity  that  had  permeated  all  ranks  of  so- 
ciety. So  thoroughly  had  Palladianism  and  a  feeling  for 
elegant  proportions  taken  hold  of  the  popular  imagina- 
tion that  they  may  truly  be  said  to  have  become  endemic 
among1  English-speaking  people  of  that  day. 
3 


34  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

Both  inside  and  out,  houses  were  planned  to  convey 
the  impression  of  symmetrical  balance  and  the  same 
care  for  symmetrical  composition  was  observed  in  the 
treatment  of  the  individual  rooms,  which  were,  as  a  rule, 
approximately  square  and  high-ceiled.  Structural  feat- 
ures, that  is  to  say,  doorways,  windows  and  fireplaces, 
were  symmetrically  placed  so  as  to  emphasise  the  effect 
of  balance  (Plate  9)  and  were  given  such  architectural 
adornment  that  they  constituted  an  important  item  in 
the  decoration  of  the  room  and  to  a  great  extent  domi- 
nated the  placing  of  the  movable  furnishings  and  deter- 
mined their  character. 

The  details  were  vigorous  in  line  and  classic  in  fash- 
ion— fluted  pilasters  with  appropriate  capitals,  correct 
architectural  entablatures,  pediments  of  several  types, 
accurately  designed  friezes  and  cornices  and  bold,  well- 
considered    mouldings.      Doorways    frequently    were 
graced  with  superimposed  pediments  (Plate  7),  either 
straight,  or  interrupted  with  a  central  urn  or  bust,  and 
the  same  motif  was  apt  to  be  echoed  in  the  chimney 
piece  which  extended  all  the  way  or  almost  all  the  way 
to  the  ceiling.  When  there  was  no  pediment  above  the 
doorway,  the  note  of  decorous  architectural  formality 
was  often  sustained  by  a  fitly  conceived  panel  with  suit- 
able embellishments.     The  overmantel  panel  with  its 
imposing  architectural  setting  was  made  a  central  feat- 
ure for  the  reception  of  a  portrait  (Plate  7)  or  a  decor- 
ative painting  or,  when  the  chimney  piece  was  less 
structurally  elaborate,  a  mirror  in  a  frame  of  strongly 
architectural  design,  perhaps  with  the  additional  dec- 
oration of  a  painting  in  the  head  or  in  side  panels, 
might  be  placed  directly  above  the  mantel  shelf.    The 
mantel-piece  itself  was  of  wood  or  of  marble  (Plates  7 
and  137),  often  elaborately  carved  with  devices  inspired 
by  designs  of  classic  provenance  pourtrayed  in  the 


ENGLAND  AND  AMERICA  35 

works  of  the  Renaissance  exponents  of  Greek  and  Ro- 
man antiquity. 

About  the  middle  of  the  century,  under  the  influence 
of  Sir  William  Chambers,  the  elaborate  chimney  piece, 
reaching  nearly  to  the  ceiling,  which  had  received  the 
sanction  and  best  efforts  of  previous  architects,  gradu- 
ally fell  into  disfavour  and  gave  place  to  a  newer  mode 
of  Continental  fashion  (Plate  9). 

"When  he  [Sir  William  Chambers]  returned  to 
England  in  1755  [from  the  Continent],  he  was  accom- 
panied by  Wilton  and  Cipriani,  afterwards  so  well 
known  as  an  artist  and  decorator.  He  also  brought 
Italian  sculptors  to  carve  the  marble  mantel-pieces  he 
introduced  into  English  houses. 

These  were  made  from  his  own  designs,  and  the 
ornament  of  figures,  scrolls  and  foliage  was  free  in 
character.  Strange  to  say,  these  mantel-pieces,  de- 
signed and  made  by  an  architect,  were  yet  the  means  of 
taking  away  this  important  part  of  interior  decoration 
from  the  hands  of  the  architect  altogether  and  causing 
it  to  become  quite  a  separate  production,  made  and  sold 
along  with  the  grates. 

In  former  times  it  had  been  an  integrant  portion  of 
the  room,  reaching  from  floor  to  ceiling,  balanced  and 
made  part  of  the  wall  by  having  its  main  lines  carried 
round  in  panelling  and  enriched  friezes.  It  was  the 
keynote  of  decoration,  and  the  master  builder  of  the 
times  grew  fanciful  and  exerted  his  utmost  skill  upon 
its  carving  and  quaint  imagery,  centralising  the  whole 
ornament  of  the  room  around  the  household  shrine. 

Mantel-pieces  had  gradually  come  down  in  height, 
though  still  retaining  much  of  their  finer  proportions 
and  classic  design.  Many  causes  had  contributed  to 
this,  the  chief  being  the  disuse  of  wood  panelling  and 
the  preference  given  to  hangings  of  damask,  foreign 
leather  and  wall-paper.  In  the  reigns  of  Queen  Anne 
and  the  Little  Dutchman  the  custom  of  panelling  was 
partially  kept  up.  ...  At  this  time  the  upper  half 
of  the  chimney  piece  was  still  retained,  but  only  reached 


36  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

about  half  way  up  the  wall  [in  many  instances].  Gibbs, 
Kent,  and  Ware  kept  the  superstructure  as  much  as 
they  could,  but  Sir  William  Chambers  dealt  it  the  most 
crushing  blow  it  had  yet  received  by  copying  the  later 
French  and  Italian  styles  and  giving  minute  detail  more 
consideration  than  fine  proportion.  He  discarded  the 
upper  part  altogether  and  helped  to  make  *  continued 
chimney  pieces'  things  of  the  past." — (Warren  Clous- 
ton's  "Treatise  on  Chippendale.") 

Window  trims,  while  vigorously  designed,  were 
comparatively  plain  and  nearly  all  of  the  carved  and 
moulded  architectural  enrichment  was  bestowed  upon 
the  overdoor  decorations,  cornices  and  friezes  and,  up 
to  the  time  of  Chambers,  the  chimney  piece.  The  win- 
dow openings  were  tall  and  sufficiently  wide  and  were 
often  somewhat  recessed  with  carefully  panelled  jambs 
and  soffits.  The  sashes  themselves  had  heavy  muntins 
and  the  rectangular  panes  were  the  same  size  or  slightly 
larger  than  those  in  use  during  the  Queen  Anne  period. 

During  much  of  the  early  Georgian  era  the  walls 
continued  to  be  fully  panelled  with  large  panels  (Plate 
9) ,  frequently  of  the  bevel  flush  type  (Plate  7) ,  separated 
by  broad  stiles  and  rails  with  thumbnail  mouldings. 
Very  often  a  moulded  chair  rail  separated  the  base  pan- 
elling from  the  upper  panels.  The  panels  were  gen- 
erally of  a  uniform  size,  but  were  graduated  to  the  exi- 
gencies of  space  when  there  was  occasion.  Cupboards 
and  buffets,  and  occasionally  niches  with  coved  and 
scalloped  tops,  continued  in  many  instances  to  be  built 
into  the  panelling  at  appropriate  places  and  were  gen- 
erally given  an  additional  enrichment  of  intricately 
wrought  mouldings  and  other  carving  of  a  character 
to  correspond  with  the  ornate  cornices  that  not  infre- 
quently exhibited  a  wealth  of  carved  foliation,  egg  and 
dart  motifs  or  similar  devices.  It  will  thus  be  seen  that 
the  carved  and  panelled  woodwork  was  an  highly  im- 


ENGLAND  AND  AMERICA  37 

portant  item  in  the  decoration  of  an  early  Georgian 
room  (Plates  7  and  137). 

The  ceilings,  though  sometimes  comparatively  plain, 
were  also  occasionally  embellished  with  lavish  foliated 
and  floriated  bands  and  mouldings  and  other  designs, 
wrought  with  all  the  dexterity  of  which  the  highly 
skilled  plaster  craftsmen  were  capable.  On  such  ceil- 
ings colour  and  gilding  were  likewise  wont  to  play  an 
important  part.  When  the  walls  were  not  fully  pan- 
elled— the  abandonment  of  full  panelling,  as  already 
noted,  became  more  common  as  the  century  advanced — 
they  were  apt  to  be  covered  with  rich  fabrics,  wall- 
paper or,  sometimes,  with  fine  leather  appropriately 
decorated. 

It  is  most  important,  in  our  process  of  visualising 
the  panelled  rooms  of  the  early  Georgian  period,  to 
bear  in  mind  that  the  use  of  unpainted  woodwork  was 
abandoned  comparatively  early  in  the  century.  "We 
have  seen  that  the  earlier  architects  and  decorators, 
when  they  did  use  paint  as  a  variant  to  the  deal,  pine, 
cedar,  oak  or  walnut  panelling,  did  not  confine  them- 
selves to  white  or  cream  white,  as  people  sometimes 
fancy,  but  resorted  very  frequently  to  colours  such  as 
those  already  mentioned.  In  the  early  Georgian  epoch, 
while  not  eschewing  white — white,  it  is  true,  was  more 
commonly  used  in  the  American  Colonies  than  colours 
—they  quite  as  often  or  oftener  employed  full-bodied 
tones  of  cream,  cream  yellow,  green,  blue  green,  drab 
and  brown  and  these  tones  contributed  materially'  to 
give  the  appearance  of  richness  and  "comfort  for  which 
the  rooms  of  the  period  are  noted.  Frequently  addi- 
tional grandeur  was  obtained  by  gilding  or  partly  gild- 
ing some  of  the  carving." 

In  addition  to  the  fixed  decoration  supplied  by  the 
rich  woodwork,  the  stately  chimney  pieces  and  the  plas- 

4^  7 


38  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

ter  adornment  of  the  ceilings,  decorative  paintings  were 
often  incorporated  in  the  scheme  where  a  suitable  over- 
door  or  other  similar  space  invited  their  employment, 
mirrors  were  permanently  affixed  in  suitable  positions 
and  choice  specimens  of  sculpture  were  placed  in  niches 
especially  provided  for  them  or  upon  pedestals  where 
their  presence  would  contribute  to  the  general  aspect  of 
balanced  dignity  and  elegance. 

While  surveying  this  particular  period  of  eighteenth 
century  decoration,  we  must  not  fail  to  take  due  note  of 
two  influences  that  marked  a  wide  and  striking  depar- 
ture from  the  prevailing  Palladianism — the  "  Chinese 
Taste, ' '  fostered  by  Sir  William  Chambers,  and  a  fanci- 
ful pseudo-Gothic  manifestation  largely  abetted  by  Sir 
Horace  Walpole.  The  former  movement  coincided  with 
and  gave  especial  emphasis  to  one  of  the  periodic  recru- 
descences of  unusual  interest  in  things  Oriental  whose 
recurrence  in  the  history  of  English  and  Continental 
decoration  afforded  an  agreeable  and  inspiring  note  of 
variety  and  gave  rise  to  many  features  of  permanent 
worth ;  the  latter  movement  was  not  happy  in  its  con- 
ception, was  taken  up  as  a  fad  by  dilettanti  who  were 
not  in  sympathy  with  the  Gothic  spirit  and  did  not 
really  understand  it,  and  produced  no  results  of  lasting 
importance.  The  Chinese  work  of  Sir  William  Cham- 
bers, and  of  those  who  imitated  or  emulated  his  endeav- 
ours, was  in  the  main  performed  in  an  honest  and  legiti- 
mate manner,  created  an  interesting  and  not  unwelcome 
relief  to  the  predominant  classicism  of  the  period,  and 
extended  its  application  to  movable  equipment  as  well 
as  to  fixed  decoration.  The  Gothic  work  of  the  day  was 
palpably  a  piece  of  affectation  and  even,  at  times,  gro- 
tesque in  its  forms  and  we  may  be  thankful  that  its 
ephemeral  course  left  no  momentous  traces  behind  it. 

Shortly  after  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century, 


ENGLAND  AND  AMERICA  39 

an  entirely  new  architectural  influence  became  para- 
mount and  as  the  introduction  of  this  influence  was  due 
almost  wholly  to  the  Brothers  Adam,  and  as  they  and 
their  contemporaries  and  imitators  were  its  accredited 
exponents,  we  shall  be  justified  in  calling  the  second 
half  of  the  century,  and,  indeed,  the  first  decade  of  the 
nineteenth,  the  Adam  Age.  Impelled  by  their  extended 
studies  of  classic  art  and  architecture  at  fountain  head, 
and  realising  clearly  what  their  architectural  predeces- 
sors in  England  had  completely  failed  to  realise — that 
classic  precedents  were  susceptible  of  a  far  wider  and 
more  elastic  interpretation  than  had  hitherto  been  given 
them,  that  architecture  and  the  decorative  arts  in  the 
golden  ages  of  Greek  and  Roman  development  had  not 
been  straitly  confined  by  an  unalterably  rigid  set  of 
rules  and  interpretative  conventions  whose  authorita- 
tive exposition  was  to  be  found  only  in  the  works  of 
Vitruvius,  Vignola  and  the  other  dogmatists  to  whom 
Kent  and  his  school  had  tightly  pinned  their  faith,  and 
that  classicism,  without  being  adulterated  or  distorted 
and  robbed  of  its  fundamental  genius,  was  susceptible 
of  a  previously  undreamed  of  urbanity,  refinement  and 
•even  playful  exuberance  of  expression — the  Adelphi 
proceeded  to  refine,  enrich,  revivify  and  even  revolu- 
tionise the  architectural  and  decorative  conceptions  of 
their  day  and  generation.  They  not  only  introduced 
the  epoch-marking  notes  of  attenuation  and  slender 
grace,  along  with  a  more  exuberant,  lively,  diversified 
and  elegant  system  of  decorative  motifs,  all  derived, 
however,  from  classic  precedent,  but,  at  the  same  time, 
they  also  showed  how  classic  architectural  interpreta- 
tion could  be  thoroughly  domestic,  intimate  and  lively 
in  tone  as  well  as  ponderous  and  monumental.  When 
they  began  to  practise,  domestic  architecture  in  Eng- 
land had  fallen  somewhat  into  a  groove  and  was  in 


40  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

danger  of  becoming  narrow,  rigid  and  pedantic.  "With- 
out sacrificing  any  principles  of  classicism,  they  ren- 
dered it  human,  infinitely  more  interesting,  and  elastic 
in  scope. 

The  Adelphi  were  no  less  formal  in  their  modes  of 
expression  than  their  predecessors,  but  their  formality 
was  vastly  more  varied,  richer  and  intensely  genial. 
There  was  a  finesse  and  a  polish  about  their  concep- 
tions that  fully  accorded  with  the  spirit  of  the  day,  a 
period  which  someone  has  aptly  termed  the  ' '  age  of  the 
drawing-room."  Indeed,  they  may  be  regarded  as  in 
no  small  degree  responsible  for  the  creation  of  that 
spirit.  One  of  the  eminently  pleasing  forms  in  which 
their  humanised  formality  found  a  fresh  outlet  was  in 
the  varied  shapes  of  the  rooms  frequently  introduced 
into  their  compositions.  Hitherto,  although  rooms  were 
designed  with  a  due  regard  for  satisfying  symmetry  in 
their  proportions,  they  were  habitually  rectangular  in 
shape.  Not  content  with  confining  themselves  to  the 
monotonous  convention  of  rectangularity,  the  Brothers 
Adam  made  the  very  shapes  of  their  rooms  fulfill  a  dec- 
orative purpose  and  frequently  designed  circular,  semi- 
circular, octagonal,  oval  and  elliptical  apartments  or 
rooms  with  semi-circular,  arc-shaped,  tribune  or  ar- 
caded  ends  when  they  deemed  that,  by  so  doing,  they 
could  enhance  the  elegance,  vivacity  or  interest  of  their 
creations.  At  the  same  time  they  made  the  ceilings 
(Plates  10  and  159)  and  floors  enter  into  a  comprehen- 
sive and  inter-related  scheme  of  decorative  unity  that 
had  rarely  before  been  equalled. 

To  a  greater  extent,  perhaps,  than  had  ever  been 
done  previously,  they  treated  the  walls  of  their  more 
important  rooms  as  architectural  compositions  (Plate 
10),  distinct  and  complete  in  themselves,  with  a  due  and 
ordered  disposition  of  panels  (Plate  10),  pilasters,  cap- 


ENGLAND  AND  AMERICA  41 

itals,  pediments,  friezes  and  cornices.  All  of  these 
features  were  usually  in  low  and  rather  flat  projection 
so  as  to  emphasise  the  sense  of  space  and  prevent  them 
from  seeming  unduly  obtrusive,  unless  the  apartment 
was  so  large  that  it  could  easily  stand  a  succession  of 
bold  projections  without  their  becoming  oppressive  or 
destroying  the  aspect  of  spacious  freedom.  The  dec- 
orative details,  both  upon  these  architectural  members 
and  upon  the  panelled  or  other  intervening  flat  sur- 
faces, were  refined  and  delicate  in  scale  and  in  low  relief. 
Pilasters,  pediments  and  other  dominant  projections 
were  sometimes  fashioned  in  carved  wood,  but  more 
frequently  were  executed  in  plaster;  the  low  relief  wall 
panels  and  other  ornamental  details  were  almost  invari- 
ably done  in  plaster  or  compo.  Never  before  had  the 
art  of  the  plasterer  or  of  the  worker  in  compo  been 
given  so  ample  an  opportunity  to  display  its  manifold 
possibilities  and  charms. 

The  panels,  or  successions  of  panels,  were  often  cov- 
ered with  a  complete  and  sufficient  decorative  design  of 
airy  arabesques,  urns,  patera?  and  other  motifs  in  low 
relief  and  the  effect  of  this  rich  mural  adornment  was 
generally  further  enhanced  by  the  use  of  a  pale-col- 
oured background  in  order  to  throw  the  raised  work 
into  sharp  contrast.  At  other  times  the  wall  panels 
exhibited  no  plaster  or  compo  relief  but  were  painted, 
upon  a  solid  body  colour,  with  devices  similar  to  those 
employed  in  the  reliefs  just  mentioned. 

Even  with  their  plainer  and  less  pretentious  walls, 
on  which  there  was  no  display  of  architectural  features, 
decorative  panels,  either  in  relief  or  painted,  were  used 
to  good  effect  and  constituted  a  valuable  item  of  fixed 
embellishment.  On  walls  of  a  still  less  elaborate  type — 
walls  in  the  Adam  mode  varied  from  the  utmost  exuber- 
ance of  detail  to  the  opposite  extreme  of  classic  auster- 


42  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

ity — countersunk  panels  and  niches  were  introduced, 
either  in  conjunction  or  separately,  and  were  so  dis- 
posed that  the  most  striking  results  were  obtained  from 
the  agreeable  alternation  of  light  and  shadow,  for  the 
Adelphi  were  masters  in  the  management  of  this 
simple  but  often  neglected  and  misapplied  resource,  as 
they  also  were  in  their  handling  of  low  relief.  On  the 
plainest  walls,  whose  surfaces  were  unbroken  by  either 
projections  or  depressions,  the  rich  and  delicate  detail 
of  the  cornice  (Plate  69),  along  with  the  decoration  of 
door  and  window  trims,  was  skillfully  manipulated  to 
present  an  elegant  contrast  between  concentrated  orna- 
ment and  foil.  Wooden  panelling  entered  little  if  at  all 
into  the  interior  decorative  schemes  of  the  Brothers 
Adam  for  they  were  too  deeply  imbued  with  the  ideals 
they  had  formed  during  their  travels  and  researches  in 
classic  lands  to  be  much  enamoured  of  this  method  of 
wall  treatment,  notwithstanding  the  great  body  of  pre- 
vious English  precedent  and  the  materials  at  their  dis- 
posal. Instead  of  wooden  panelling,  they  occasionally 
employed  marble,  but  their  methods  of  treating  plaster 
were  capable  of  such  agreeable  variety  that  there  was 
little  need  to  resort  to  other  means  of  interior  finish.  In 
a  great  number  of  cases,  especially  with  the  plainer 
walls,  a  chair  rail  or  moulding  was  carried  around  the 
room,  thus  creating  the  appearance  of  a  base  for  the 
treatment  above.  In  some  instances,  also,  fabrics  and 
wall-paper  were  used,  but  painted  walls  seem  to  have 
accorded  more  nearly  with  the  spirit  of  Adam  interior 
backgrounds.  The  system  of  colouring  commonly  em- 
ployed will  be  more  fully  discussed  in  a  subsequent  sec- 
tion, but  it  seems  advisable  at  this  point  to  call  attention 
to  what  an  extent  the  ensemble  of  Adam  interiors  was 
dependent  upon  the  light,  delicate  and  often  pale  tones 
of  the  flat  wall  surfaces. 


ENGLAND  AND  AMERICA  43 

Decorative  paintings  of  landscapes  (Plate  159)  and 
architectural  subjects,  in  the  Italian  manner  worthily 
represented  in  England  by  Cipriani  and  others  of  his 
fellow-countrymen  who  had  heeded  the  invitation  of  the 
Adelphi,  were  plentifully  used  and  were  set  either  in 
countersunk  panels  or  in  flush  panels  surrounded  with 
plaster  or  compo  mouldings  in  the  fashion  of  a  frame. 
These  panels  were  introduced  with  great  frequency  and 
in  various  shapes  over  (Plate  11)  doorways,  above  fire- 
places and  wherever  else  decorative  expediency  dic- 
tated. Wedgwood  plaques  (Plate  159),  with  designs  by 
Flaxman  or  Lady  Templetown,  were  often  made  the 
central  features  of  arabesque  panels,  and  large  plaster 
or  Wedgwood  medallions,  with  heads  or  with  classic 
figures  in  low  relief,  frequently  occurred  either  with 
an  accompaniment  of  flowing  arabesques  to  enrich  a 
large  wall  or  overmantel  panel,  or  else  in  a  severely 
chaste  composition  as  the  sole  enrichment  of  one  of  the 
smaller  countersunk  panels  already  mentioned.  Busts 
or  other  pieces  of  sculpture  (Plate  10)  were  sometimes 
strikingly  used  for  wall  decoration  and  so  placed 
that  the  shadow  of  a  niche  behind  them  supplied  a 
most  impressive  background  against  which  they  were 
silhouetted. 

Mirrors  fulfilled  an  important  function  in  the  fixed 
decoration  of  many  Adam  rooms  and  were  set  above 
mantels,  over  consoles  in  symmetrical  placings  or  some- 
times in  the  panelling  of  doors,  the  gilded  frames  being 
designed  to  accord  with  the  light  and  airy  interpreta- 
tions of  classicism  elsewhere  in  evidence.  Not  a  few 
door  heads  contained  semi-elliptical  fan  lights,  filled 
with  clear  glass  or  with  mirrors,  and  traversed  with 
delicately  moulded  leaden  tracery.  The  effect  of  these 
door  heads  was  singularly  rich  and  beautiful. 

Mantel  pieces,  as  might  be  expected,  were  the  objects 


44  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

of  no  less  solicitous  care  (Plates  10  and  69)  than  was 
lavished  upon  all  the  other  permanent  accessories. 
They  were  of  the  finest  white  marble  carved  in  the  char- 
acteristic Adam  motifs,  consisting  of  urns,  swags, 
drops,  flutings  and  the  like,  sometimes  with  a  central 
panel  above  the  fireplace  opening  exhibiting  a  Flaxman 
or  a  Templetown  design  in  low  relief,  and  frequently 
yellow  (Plate  69),  buff,  black  or  green  Italian  marbles 
were  so  combined  as  to  throw  the  carved  devices  into 
conspicuous  relief,  or  else  the  whole  mantel  structure 
was  of  wood  carved  in  the  same  refined  and  delicate 
fashion  or  with  the  more  intricate  detail  modelled  in 
compo  and  applied  to  the  wooden  ground  before  paint- 
ing. There  were  few  architectural  superstructures  or 
attached  and  "  continued "  chimney  pieces,  as  in  the 
days  of  Kent,  and  the  chimney  breast  above  the  mantel 
shelf  was  adorned  with  a  mirror  or  in  some  one  of 
the  other  ways  previously  indicated.  For  many  of 
the  fireplaces,  grates  of  burnished  steel  or  of  brass 
were  designed  in  a  fashion  to  coincide  with  the  rest 
of  the  decoration. 

The  woodwork  of  doors  and  of  door  and  window 
trims  (Plate  69)  displayed  refined  mouldings  of  rather 
low  relief  and  the  same  chaste  and  delicate  decorative 
detail,  sometimes  elaborate,  sometimes  simple,  as  al- 
ready noted  in  the  wooden  mantels  and  other  per- 
manent features.  Straight  door  heads  often  carried  a 
considerable  degree  of  elaboration  and  occasionally  cen- 
tral panels  in  the  manner  shown  in  Plate  69.  The  refin- 
ing effect  of  flutings  and  of  other  close  parallel  lines 
was  especially  well  exemplified  in  Adam  woodwork.  As 
the  century  advanced  the  size  of  window  panes  gradu- 
ally increased  and,  although  there  was  no  approxima- 
tion to  the  horrors  of  large  sheets  of  glass  with  which 
we  are  now  sometimes  afflicted  and  which  utterly  de- 


ENGLAND  AND  AMERICA  45 

stroy  the  character  of  a  window,  the  lights  were  per- 
ceptibly larger  than  they  were  during  the  first  half 
of  the  century.  The  muntins,  also,  were  appreciably 
pared  down  in  dimensions.  Wrought  ironwork,  while 
used  chiefly  in  exterior  embellishment,  also  often  made 
its  appearance  in  the  composition  of  stair  rails  and 
balustrades  and  was  fashioned  in  graceful,  light  and 
frequently  attenuated  devices  to  correspond  with  the 
interior  ensemble. 

The  ceilings  (Plates  10,  69  and  159),  designed  by 
the  Brothers  Adam  were  among  the  most  beautiful  and 
finished  of  all  their  exquisite  compositions.  The  Adelphi 
not  only  had  a  goodly  heritage  of  plaster  tradition 
behind  them  in  the  work  of  English  designers  and 
artificers,  but  they  also  had  constantly  in  their  mind's 
eye  the  wonderful  ceiling  enrichments  of  the  classic 
precedents  upon  which  they  drew  so  freely  for  inspira- 
tion. In  the  matter  of  physical  execution  they  were 
able  to  avail  themselves  of  the  services  of  skilled  plas- 
terers, adepts  in  every  minute  detail  of  their  craft,  and 
also,  in  addition  to  this,  they  made  extensive  use  of  a 
newly  perfected  process  of  applying  compo  ornament 
in  large  moulded  sections.  The  low  reliefs,  which  the 
Adelphi  knew  how  to  employ  with  such  marvellous 
eff ect  upon  walls,  they  used  to  no  less  advantage  in  the 
decoration  of  their  ceilings.  Motifs  of  the  same  descrip- 
tion as  those  already  noted  were,  of  course,  employed 
in  ceiling  treatment.  Sometimes  the  ceilings  were  un- 
coloured,  sometimes  there  was  a  pale  ground  colour  to 
throw  the  low  reliefs  into  sharp  contrast,  and  some- 
times whole  surfaces  were  covered  with  painted  panels 
or  frescoes,  polychrome  enrichment  and  gilding.  A 
great  many  of  the  ceilings  were  flat,  but  it  was  not  un- 
common to  find  them  coved  and  still  others  domed  and 
vaulted.  Some  of  these  vaulted  and  domed  ceilings 


46  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

were  quite  plain  except  for  the  ornamentation  around 
the  cornice  and,  we  may  add,  were  exceedingly  beautiful 
and  effective,  one  of  their  great  merits  being  the  per- 
fection of  their  proportions.  There  was  the  same  rela- 
tive gradation  between  the  elaboration  of  ceilings  and 
the  elaboration  of  walls,  some  of  them  being  exceed- 
ingly ornate  while  others  were  quite  simple,  but  even 
where  the  walls  were  almost  devoid  of  ornamentation 
there  was  usually  some  attempt  at  more  decorative 
amenity  on  the  ceiling,  especially  if  it  was  a  flat  ceiling 
and  had  not  the  interest  of  curving  lines  to  fascinate 
the  eye. 

Floors  were  made  of  both  wood  and  marble  and  a 
certain  degree  of  restrained  decoration  was  sometimes 
employed,  but  in  most  cases  the  floor  was  either  re- 
garded as  a  plain  foundation  for  the  rest  of  the  com- 
position or  else  intended  to  be  carpeted  so  that  a  fixed 
decoration  thereon  would  have  been  lost.  The  increas- 
ing vogue  of  full-sized  carpets  or  rugs,  both  of  which 
were  often  especially  designed  and  woven  for  the  rooms 
in  which  they  were  to  be  used,  discouraged  the  elaborate 
ornamental  parquetting  of  floors,  a  fashion  that  had 
obtained  at  an  earlier  date  when  large  floor  coverings 
were  not  so  numerous. 

A  survey  of  the  elements  entering  into  the  fixed 
decoration  of  Adam  rooms,  as  indicated  in  the  fore- 
going paragraphs,  shows  that  a  hitherto  unprecedented 
degree  of  refinement  and  completeness  had  been  at- 
tained— indeed,  we  may  say  that  it  has  never  since  been 
excelled — and  that  punctilious  care  was  bestowed  upon 
the  least  as  well  as  upon  the  greatest  factors  compre- 
hended in  a  decorative  scheme.  That  this  thorough  and 
painstaking  care  was  contributory  in  a  great  degree  to 
the  success  of  the  Brothers  Adam  in  their  domestic 
work  we  need  hardly  emphasise. 


ENGLAND  AND  AMERICA  47 

In  the  early  years  of  the  nineteenth  century,  al- 
though the  architectural  and  decorative  influence  of  the 
Adelphi  was  still  strong  and  far-reaching  and  consti- 
tuted a  force  to  be  reckoned  with,  other  influences  were 
beginning  to  creep  in  from  France  as  a  reflection  of  the 
Empire  mode,  a  mode  altogether  heavier  and  less  in- 
spired than  the  creations  of  the  Adam  Brothers.  Archi- 
tecturally it  may  be  termed  the  style  of  the  "  Greek 
Revival";  in  mobiliary  and  decorative  parlance  we 
know  it  as  the  Empire  mode.  In  England  the  process 
of  architectural  change  at  this  time  was  not  so  clearly 
marked  as  in  America.  Architectural  traditions  were, 
perhaps,  more  firmly  established  or,  at  least,  more 
widely  established ;  and,  in  the  second  place,  there  was 
not  the  widespread  building  activity  that  occurred  at 
the  very  end  of  the  eighteenth  century  and  in  the  first 
three  decades  of  the  nineteenth  in  the  recently  estab- 
lished republic,  where  population  was  rapidly  increas- 
ing and  where  a  great  many  men,  rejoicing  in  a  fresh 
burst  of  prosperity  and  new-found  wealth,  were  erect- 
ing for  themselves  homes  commensurate  with  their  af- 
fluence. We  might,  indeed,  say  that  in  England  the 
architectural  change  was  chiefly  to  be  observed  in  a 
gradual  falling  away  from  those  vital  and  blithesome 
qualities  that  had  distinguished  the  work  of  earlier  days 
and  a  slipping  into  a  more  sombre,  stolid  and  inelastic 
form  of  expression.  It  was  as  though  both  architecture 
and  interior  decoration  were  suffering  from  an  incipient 
hardening  of  the  arteries.  Details  grew  heavier  and 
more  pompous,  there  was  less  variety  in  the  forms  em- 
ployed, and  the  numerous  enlivening  devices  of  fixed 
decoration,  that  had  so  glorified  and  characterised  the 
hey-day  of  Adam  influence,  one  by  one  dropped  out  of 
fashion  until  we  come  to  a  full  realisation  of  the  archi- 


48  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

tectural  and  decorative  bathos  in  the  prevailing  vision 
of  great  rectangular  rooms  wth  plain  plaster  walls, 
whose  monotony  was  now  and  then  relieved  by  a  niche ; 
door  and  window  trims  heavily  detailed  in  severe  and 
rather  monumental  Greek  and  Roman  motifs,  among 
which  the  key  fret  and  the  anthemion  were  conspicuous ; 
plaster  cornices  echoing  the  same  inspiration,  heavy 
plaster  ornaments  to  match  around  the  edges  and  in 
the  centres  of  ceilings ;  and  plain,  vigorously  moulded 
black  marble  mantels  without  any  fixed  architectural 
adornment  above  them  on  the  chimney  breast,  a  place 
that  seemed  now  to  have  become  saored  either  to  a 
family  portrait  or  else  to  a  large  mirror  set  in  a  heavy 
gilt  frame.  Altogether,  it  will  be  observed,  the  ground 
had  become  well  prepared  for  the  final  plunge  and 
slump  into  Victorian  desolation,  dullness  and  material- 
istic commercialism  without  a  ray  of  imagination  to 
lighten  and  redeem  the  benighted  epoch. 

In  America,  the  Adam  influence  had  borne  ripe  fruit 
and  continued  to  make  itself  felt  in  a  somewhat  modi- 
fied, but  nevertheless  beautiful,  form  through  the  work 
of  such  men  as  Samuel  Mclntire  of  Salem.  Adam  ex- 
pression, however,  had  never  attained  the  far-reaching 
spread  that  it  had  in  England  and  in  the  very  late  eigh- 
teenth century  and  the  early  years  of  the  nineteenth, 
when  there  wras  so  much  building  to  be  done  along  the 
whole  Atlantic  seaboard,  building  both  public  and  do- 
mestic, in  order  to  keep  pace  with  the  access  of  a  newly 
stimulated  national  expansion,  and  when,  moreover, 
there  was  the  greatest  enthusiasm  everywhere  through- 
out the  country  for  all  things  French,  it  is  not  surpris- 
ing that  the  style  which  we  know  as  the  "Classic"  or 
"Greek  Revival,"  echoing  the  current  phase  of  French 
architectural  sentiment  should  have  taken  deep  root 
and  achieved  a  wide  development,  modified,  it  is  true, 


PLATE  12 


ENGLAND  AND  AMERICA  49 

by  local  conditions  and  necessities,  but  unmistakable 
in  its  parentage. 

The  interiors  in  this  new  evolution  of  domestic  archi- 
tecture were  commonly  characterised  by  a  great  deal  of 
solid  dignity  and  decorum,  an  impression  materially 
assisted  by  the  customarily  spacious  dimensions  of  the 
rooms,  without  much  enlivening  imagination  or  decora- 
tive resourcefulness  to  give  to  the  ensemble  that  vital- 
ity that  had  always  radiated  from  the  background  of  a 
room  conceived  by  the  Brothers  Adam  or  by  the  men 
who  professedly  followed  their  lead.  The  walls  were 
plain,  unrelieved  expanses  of  smooth  plaster  (Plate  12) 
extending  from  baseboard  to  cornice  and  were  either 
painted  or  tinted  some  pale,  cool  colour — grey,  pearl, 
drab,  buff,  and  a  light  green  inherited  from  Adam 
usage,  were  in  high  favour — or  else  they  were  covered 
with  wall-paper,  usually  of  a  very  excellent  quality  and 
meant  to  last. 

About  the  end  of  the  eighteenth  century  and  in  the 
very  beginning  of  the  nineteenth,  the  landscape  papers 
were  extensively  used  alike  in  rooms  and  in  halls  and 
many  of  them,  both  polychrome  and  monochrome,  were 
both  beautiful  and  dignified  and  lent  a  peculiar  charm 
and  breadth  to  the  rooms  in  which  they  were  hung,  a 
charm  that  nothing  else  has  ever  quite  taken  the  place 
of.  In  addition  to  these  landscape  papers,  papers  with 
striking  Chinese  motifs  of  figures,  animals,  pagodas, 
bridges,  birds  and  flowers,  frequently  in  vital  colour- 
ing, enjoyed  some  vogue.  There  were,  also,  the  mono- 
chrome French  papers  printed  with  carefully  cut  wood 
blocks  from  cartoons  by  David  *  and  other  equally 
noted  contemporary  French  artists.  These  papers 
pourtrayed  scenes  from  classic  mythology  and  were  de- 
signed as  panels  to  be  hung  in  a  sequence.  Of  all  the 

*  These  papers  are  now  being  reproduced  from  the  original  blocks. 
4 


50  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

early  wall-papers,  they  were,  perhaps,  the  finest  in  both 
conception  and  execution. 

A  little  later  on  in  the  nineteenth  century,  when 
these  beautiful  wall  coverings  had  either  passed  out  of 
fashion  or  were  no  longer  obtainable,  their  place  was 
taken  by  papers  designed  to  represent  moulded  panels, 
or  by  paper  marbled,  mottled  and  veined  and  laid  off 
in  vertical  and  horizontal  lines  to  simulate  the  joints  of 
masonry.  The  best  of  these  masonry  papers — and  some 
of  them  were  by  no  means  bad — contained  cartouches 
in  the  centre  of  each  oblong  block  and  within  the  car- 
touches were  small  monochrome  scenes  of  classic  or 
historical  provenance.  Some  tone  of  grey  was  usually 
chosen  for  the  execution  of  such  papers  and,  it  may  be 
added,  the  masonry  papers  were  as  a  rule  hung  in  halls 
where  their  pattern  did  not  conflict  with  the  movable 
decorations  and  where  their  pictorial  note  lent  a  touch 
of  interest  in  default  of  other  features  to  arrest  or 
amuse  the  eye. 

Door  and  window  trims  were  bold  and  heavy  in  de- 
tail and,  when  any  attempt  was  made  at  ornamentation 
beyond  flat,  rectangular  mouldings,  Greek  key  fret  and 
anthemion  motifs  generally  appeared  and  also  square 
thistle  or  acanthus  leaf  paterae  at  the  angles.  The  pan- 
els of  doors  and  shutters  were  small,  with  the  occa- 
sional exception  of  large  panels  in  the  lower  halves 
of  doors,  and  were  defined  by  a  number  of  small,  flat 
mouldings  which  often  gave  them  a  complex  appear- 
ance. The  woodwork  was  usually  painted  white,  al- 
though such  pale  colours  as  pearl  or  light  grey  were 
now  and  then  used  by  way  of  variety.  Green,  or  some- 
times white,  Venetian  blinds  were  much  in  fashion  at 
this  period  and  added  a  touch  of  decorative  interest 
to  the  windows  which  otherwise  they  would  not  have 
possessed.  Floors  were  of  plain  boards  without  any 


ENGLAND  AND  AMERICA  51 

essay  at  adornment.  In  hallways  marble  tiles  were 
sometimes  used,  either  solid  white  or  black  and  white 
chequered. 

Plaster  decoration  consisted  of  moulded  cornices 
and  of  ceiling  borders  and  central  ornaments  that 
echoed  the  motifs  of  the  woodwork  in  the  manner  al- 
ready mentioned  as  occurring  in  contemporary  houses 
in  England.  Ceiling  borders  were  not  invariably  used, 
but  the  central  ornaments  in  the  larger  and  more  im- 
portant rooms  were  rarely  omitted  as  they  formed  a 
point  of  departure  from  the  ceiling  for  the  imposing 
chandelier  which  had  by  now  come  to  be  regarded  as 
an  almost  indispensable  adjunct. 

Mantel-pieces  of  black  or  dark  grey  veined  marble, 
oftentimes  with  two  plain  pillars  supporting  the  shelf, 
were  in  common  use.  White  marble  and  wood  painted 
white,  and  fashioned  in  the  same  pattern,  were  also 
much  used.  In  some  of  the  more  elegantly  equipped 
rooms  the  low  mantels  of  white  marble  were  elaborately 
carved  in  the  current  French  style  and  in  some  in- 
stances displayed  griffin  or  caryatid  side  supports  in- 
stead of  the  pillars  just  alluded  to.  These  latter  pieces 
of  sculpture  were  really  very  beautiful  and  imparted 
an  air  of  elegance  and  distinction  to  any  room  in  which 
they  were  placed,  quite  sufficient  to  redeem  any  im- 
pression of  heaviness  conveyed  by  the  other  items  of 
fixed  equipment. 

The  architectural  and  decorative  mode  that  fol- 
lowed the  Classic  Revival,  which,  indeed,  grew  from  it 
and  into  which  the  Classic  Revival  gradually  declined 
when  its  period  of  decadence  set  in,  is  discussed  in 
Chapter  IX. 

Furniture  and  Decoration. — In  the  early  part  of  the 
eighteenth  century — the  last  years  of  the  reign  of  "Wil- 
liam and  Mary  and  the  reign  of  Queen  Anne — every 


52  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

article  of  furniture  that  we  now  have  was  in  use  and, 
besides  this,  there  were  some  things  that  we  have  since 
allowed  to  fall  more  or  less  into  oblivion  to  our  own 
great  decorative  loss.  While  many  of  the  mobiliary 
fashions  of  an  earlier  date  persisted  to  some  extent — 
the  panelled  oak  pieces  and  the  more  elaborate  walnut 
creations  of  late  Stuart  times  and  the  walnut,  mar- 
queterie  and  lacquer  achievements  of  the  William  and 
Mary  era — and  especially  in  the  provincial  towns  and 
country  districts,  a  new  and  powerful  influence  in  furni- 
ture design  was  everywhere  apparent.  This  new  ele- 
ment has  been  called  the  curvilinear  influence  and  was 
particularly  manifest  in  the  prevalence  of  cabriole  legs 
for  seating  furniture,  tables  and  cabinet  work,  shaped 
aprons  for  tables  and  wall  furniture,  shaped  and  curv- 
ing tops  or  cresting  for  bureau  bookcases,  cupboards, 
cabinets,  highboys  and  other  pieces  of  wall  furniture, 
shaped  heads  with  cyma  curves  for  panelling  and  mir- 
ror tops,  and  even  the  introduction  of  curved  lines  into 
structural  features  such  as  the  fronts  of  bombe  or  "ket- 
tle-front" cabinets  and  chests  of  drawers.  This  influ- 
ence came  into  England  directly  through  Dutch  chan- 
nels, but  was  only  one  instance  of  similar  concurrent 
influences  prevailing  throughout  Europe  which  may  be 
attributed  to  a  complex  and  mixed  Baroque  and  Ori- 
ental parentage. 

Although  oak  continued  to  be  used  to  some  extent 
for  furniture  making,  the  favourite  and  fashionable, 
and  we  (may  also  say  the  standard,  wood  was  walnut, 
either  solid  or  as  a  figured  veneer  laid  on  over  a  base  of 
oak  or  of  some  other  wood.  The  cabinet  makers  of  the 
period,  however,  did  not  restrict  themselves  in  their 
finer  work  to  the  expression  of  their  talents  in  walnut 
alone.  They  made  considerable  use  of  other  woods 
which  increasing  commercial  facilities  were  placing 


ENGLAND  AND  AMERICA  53 

within  their  grasp ;  they  freely  employed  marqueterie 
in  the  more  refined  "sea  weed"  patterns  which  had 
superseded  the  larger  multi-colored  floral  and  foliated 
motifs;  they  continued  to  produce  many  pieces  of  lac- 
quer, admirable  in  colour — red,  green,  cream,  yellow, 
blue,  brown,  silver  and  black — and  in  decoration;  they 
decorated  not  a  few  pieces  with  paint  and  parcel  gild- 
ing; they  strained  various  fabrics  over  carved  and 
moulded  wood  bases ;  and  last,  but  not  least  in  signifi- 
cance, under  the  impetus  of  designs  furnished  by  such 
men  as  Kent  and  his  school,  who  required  pieces  of  a 
certain  scale  and  pomp  to  accord  with  the  stately  in- 
teriors then  being  created,  they  executed  massive  and 
heavily  carved  tables  and  consoles,  coated  with  gesso 
richly  gilt  and  topped  with  slabs  of  marble  or  vari-col- 
oured  scagliola,  as  well  as  other  pieces  in  a  similar 
monumental  vein  to  match. 

About  1720  mahogany  began  to  be  used  and  the  ad- 
vent of  this  wood  as  a  material  for  furniture  construc- 
tion opened  the  way  for  developments  in  both  structure 
and  ornamentation  that  would  not  have  been  possible 
in  any  of  the  previous  media.  Before  speaking  more 
explicitly,  however,  of  the  changes  induced  by  the  popu- 
larisation of  mahogany  as  a  cabinet  wood,  attention 
should  be  called  to  what  has  aptly  been  termed  "Archi- 
tects' Furniture,"  a  species  of  mobiliary  equipment 
that  exercised  a  profound  effect  upon  the  appearance 
of  a  great  many  interiors  during  the  first  half  of  the 
eighteenth  century.  Architects  were  designing  stately 
rooms  with  lofty  ceilings  and  broad  wall  spaces  on  a 
scale  and  in  a  style  hitherto  unknown  in  England.  For 
these  spacious  interiors  the  "small  calibre"  furniture 
of  the  familiar  "Queen  Anne"  pattern  was  totally  in- 
adequate in  scale  and  often  unsatisfactory  in  the  minu- 
tiae of  style.  The  want  of  something  more  imposing  was 


54  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

partially  filled  by  the  heavy  carved  and  gilded  pieces  * 
of  which  mention  has  already  been  made,  but  there  was 
still  an  obvious  need  for  something  further  in  the  way 
of  large  case  work.  And  this  further  need  was  met  by 
the  architects  who  proceeded  to  design  large  book- 
cases, cupboards,  presses  and  cabinets  in  a  scale  com- 
mensurate with  the  positions  they  were  to  occupy  and 
in  a  style  that  was  distinctly  architectural  in  concep- 
tion, even  to  the  details  of  ornamentation,  free  use 
being  made  of  pillars,  pilasters,  entablatures,  pedi- 
ments of  various  types,  urns  and  cornices  whose  every 
feature  was  transferred  from  architectural  to  mobili- 
ary  usage.  This  was  one  step  farther  than,  and  a  logi- 
cal development  from,  the  built-in  cupboards  and 
buffets  previously  discussed.  This  "architects'  furni- 
ture" was  constructed  either  in  the  natural  cabinet 
woods  current  at  the  time,  chiefly  walnut  and  mahog- 
any, or  else  was  made  of  pine  or  deal  and  painted  to 
accord  with  the  fixed  woodwork  of  the  room  in  which 
it  was  placed. 

During  the  early  Georgian  period,  and  synchron- 
ously with  the  carved  and  gilt  Kentian  pieces  and  the 
"architects'  furniture,"  a  great  deal  of  the  other  furni- 
ture underwent  a  process  of  elaboration  that  was  more 
observable  in  decorative  details  and  the  amount  of 
decoration  applied  than  in  structural  forms.  It  began 
with  what  is  known  as  the  "Decorated  Queen  Anne" 
type  and  progressed  through  the  heavily,  and  often 
overly,  embellished  creations  of  chair  and  cabinet 
makers  up  to  the  rise  of  Thomas  Chippendale  into 
prominence  as  the  arbiter  of  furniture  fashions.  About 
the  middle  of  the  century  there  had  been  a  recru- 

*  These  imposing  carved  and  gilt  tables,  consoles  and  the  like  began 
to  be  popular  in  the  latter  part  of  the  17th  century,  thanks  to  the  in- 
fluence of  Marot,  whom  William  of  Orange  brought  to  England. 


ENGLAND  AND  AMERICA  55 

deseence  of  the  " Chinese  taste"  in  the  Oriental  and 
pseudo-Oriental  forms  inspired  by  the  designs  of  Sir 
William  Chambers.  It  was  left  for  Chippendale  to  tem- 
per and  correct  the  excesses  of  design  that  had  pre- 
vailed prior  to  his  regime,  to  adapt  and  improve  upon 
the  precedents  that  he  found  previously  established, 
and  to  introduce  new  elements  by  which  he  sought  to 
elevate  mobiliary  taste  of  his  day  and,  needless  to  say, 
this  he  succeeded  in  doing. 

The  heritage  of  English  precedent  that  Chippendale 
found  ready  to  his  hand,  he  refined  and,  in  many  cases, 
elaborated  with  the  utmost  skill,  displaying  his  genius 
and  originality,  not  in  the  futile  effort  to  create  some- 
thing utterly  different  from  all  preexistent  fashions,  but 
through  a  sane  and  reasonable  adaptation  to  contem- 
porary requirements  as  he  conceived  them  and  as  the 
means  at  his  disposal  prompted  him.  The  "  Chinese 
taste ' '  he  interpreted  in  a  manner  perfectly  consistent 
with  the  needs  and  environment  for  which  he  was  work- 
ing; the  "Gothic  style"  in  its  undiluted  form,  though 
obviously  an  anachronism  and  a  piece  of  affectation, 
altogether  out  of  keeping  with  the  architectural  set- 
tings then  being  created,  he  handled  with  tactful  ad- 
dress and  contrived  to  keep  it  from  being  aggressively 
offensive ;  the  Rococo  inspiration,  derived  from  current 
French  models,  he  translated  successfully  into  an  Eng- 
lish body  and,  although  there  was  nothing  in  any  of 
the  phases  of  British  architectural  and  decorative 
backgrounds  to  which  it  in  any  way  corresponded,  man- 
aged so  to  express  the  style  that  it  did  not  conflict  with 
its  environment.  But  it  was  in  what  might  be  called  his 
4 'composite"  work,  in  the  expression  of  which  he  freely 
drew  from  various  sources  and  commingled  elements 
Chinese,  Gothic  and  Rococo  in  the  same  piece  along 
with  traditions  of  earlier  English  derivation,  that  he 


56  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

achieved  his  most  signal  successes  as  a  great  master  of 
style.  Whatever  diversities  of  origin  such  pieces  might 
reveal  upon  close  and  searching  scrutiny,  there  can  be 
no  question  that  their  ensemble  was  in  full  and  har- 
monious accord  with  the  architectural  environment  of 
the  day. 

Early  in  the  second  half  of  the  eighteenth  century, 
under  the  revived  classic  impulse  imparted  by  the 
Brothers  Adam,  the  whole  spirit  of  furniture  design 
underwent  a  radical  change  and  the  mobiliary  equip- 
ment of  the  period  was  created  with  the  avowed  and 
patent  intent  of  close  coincidence  with  the  newer  phase 
of  architectural  expression.  Emphasis  was  laid  upon 
straight  structural  lines  and  the  decorative  details  were 
of  obviously  architectural  provenance.  The  attenua- 
tion and  restraint  discernible  in  architectural  forms 
were  communicated  to  the  structure  of  the  furniture 
and  also  visibly  affected  not  only  the  forms  of  the  orna- 
ment employed  but  also  the  amount  of  ornament  and 
the  manner  of  its  distribution.  While  Chippendale,  so 
long  as  he  followed  the  bent  of  his  own  inspiration, 
worked  almost  exclusively  in  mahogany  and  carried  the 
manipulation  of  his  chosen  medium  to  the  highest  de- 
velopment of  which  even  so  facile  and  accommodating 
a  material  was  susceptible,  the  access  of  Adam  influ- 
ence popularised  a  great  diversity  of  materials  which, 
while  they  did  not  displace  mahogany  as  a  cabinet 
wood,  were  freely  used  concurrently  with  it  and  vastly 
added  to  the  resources  of  colour  possibility  and  contrib- 
uted to  the  general  lightening  effect  of  contemporary 
interior  decoration.  Satinwood  especially  came  into 
high  favour.  At  the  same  time  painting  and  inlay  were 
exploited  to  the  full  extent  of  their  capabilities  as  dec- 
orative factors.  Hepplewhite,  Shearer,  Sheraton,  and 
also  the  lesser  lights  who  wrought  at  the  same  time  and 


ENGLAND  AND  AMERICA  57 

followed  in  their  wake,  were  all  profoundly  influenced 
by  the  new  ideals  of  which  the  Adelphi  were  successful 
protagonists  and  the  work  of  all  these  cabinet  makers 
and  designers  exhibited  a  kindred  regard  for  and  ob- 
servance of  the  reversion  to  purer  classic  principles 
with  the  attendant  attenuation  of  proportions  and 
dominance  of  straight  lines  as  well  as  the  use  of  motifs 
of  more  or  less  immediate  classical  provenance. 

At  the  very  end  of  the  century  we  discover  the  classic 
forms  merging  gradually  into  the  * '  Directoire ' '  phase 
of  expression,  while  early  in  the  nineteenth  century — a 
period  synchronous  with  the  very  apparent  decadence 
of  Sheraton  design — we  find  the  more  bombastic  mani- 
festations corresponding  to  the  Empire  fashion  in 
France  for,  notwithstanding  the  abhorrence  of  France 
and  of  French  politics,  French  styles  were  as  potent 
and  pervasive  as  ever.  For  a  detailed  discussion  of 
Empire  forms,  as  well  as  for  the  minute  particulars  of 
all  the  furniture  variations  during  the  period  included 
in  this  chapter,  the  reader  is  referred  to  the  ''Practical 
Book  of  Period  Furniture,"  Eberlein  and  McClure. 

Other  Decorative  Accessories  and  Movable  Decora- 
tions.— During  the  early  part  of  the  eighteenth  cen- 
tury, the  tapestries  which  had  played  so  important  a 
part  in  the  decorative  composition  of  former  times, 
retained  somewhat  of  their  pristine  popularity  and 
remained  to  a  certain  extent  in  evidence,  although  they 
did  not  constitute  one  of  the  distinctively  characteristic 
features  of  the  time. 

Hangings  for  windows  consisted  of  either  brocades, 
damasks  or  velvets  in  bright  colours  and  strong  pat- 
terns, much  like  the  fabrics  used  for  covering  uphol- 
stered furniture,  or  else  of  printed  linens  and  chintzes 
of  agreeably  bright  colouring  and  in  designs  similar  to 
those  shown  in  the  illustration.  Both  kinds  of  hang- 


58  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

ings  were  used  either  with  or  without  valances  and  were 
often  hung  from  box  heads  which  were  covered  with  the 
same  material  strained  over  the  wood. 

In  large  rooms  chandeliers  were  often  used ;  some- 
times they  were  made  of  carved  wood,  painted  and  par- 
cel gilt,  sometimes  of  brass,  sometimes  of  wrought  iron 
which  was  occasionally  embellished  by  colour  and  gild- 
ing, and  sometimes  of  glass  with  large  crystal  pen- 
dants. Sconces,  too,  were  conspicuous  items  of  decor- 
ative 'equipment  and  were  made  in  the  manner  just 
noted  in  the  description  of  chandeliers  as  well  as  with 
various  other  devices  of  embellishment. 

In  addition  to  the  mirrors  employed  in  fixed  decor- 
ative treatments,  great  numbers  of  mirrors,  both  large 
and  small,  were  in  common  use.  Some  were  tall  and 
narrow,  others  were  long  and  low,  while  others  still 
were  quite  small.  It  was  quite  a  usual  thing  for  a  mirror 
to  be  made  in  several  divisions.  The  edges  were  often 
bevelled,  even  where  the  head  of  the  mirror  was  elab- 
orately shaped,  and  it  was  not  an  uncommon  thing  for 
the  surface  of  the  glass  to  be  adorned  with  shallow  cut- 
ting where  such  decoration  would  not  interfere  with 
practical  utility.  Then  again,  side  panels  in  large  tri- 
partite mirrors  were  frequently  adorned  with  poly- 
chrome paintings  in  reverse,  in  the  Chinese  manner, 
which  added  greatly  to  their  decorative  value.  A  num- 
ber of  the  early  mirrors  were  framed  with  bevelled 
glass  of  a  different  colour,  very  often  a  rich  deep  blue, 
although  other  colours  were  used.  Most  of  the  mirror 
frames,  however,  were  of  walnut  and  were  either 
adorned  with  marqueterie  or  were  carved  and  parcel 
gilt;  or  they  were  of  pine  or  some  other  soft  wood, 
carved  and  coated  with  gesso  and  wholly  gilt ;  or  else 
they  were  of  lacquer  with  gilt,  and  also  sometimes  with 
polychrome  decorations.  Sconces,  when  not  of  metal 


ENGLAND  AND  AMERICA  59 

or  of  carved  wood,  painted  and  parcel  gilt,  were  often 
made  in  combination  with  small  mirrors  and  were 
framed  in  the  manner  just  indicated.  A  number  of 
mirrors,  especially  those  intended  for  overmantel 
decoration,  were  framed  in  combination  with  decorative 
paintings,  the  mirror  forming  the  lower  part  of  the 
composition  and  the  painting  the  upper  portion. 

Pictures — portraits,  landscapes  and  decorative 
paintings  of  fruits  and  flowers  or  of  combined  architec- 
tural and  landscape  subjects — constituted  another  valu- 
able and  much  used  decorative  resource,  and  likewise 
framed  prints,  both  plain  and  coloured,  were  exten- 
sively employed. 

Sculptures,  especially  in  marble  but  to  some  extent 
also  in  bronze,  were  much  in  vogue  and  were  placed 
either  on  pedestals  or  in  niches  designed  to  receive 
them.  These  marbles  and  bronzes  were  often  in  the 
form  of  urns  and  vases  as  well  as  busts,  figures  and 
groups.  Porcelains,  in  the  shape  of  urns,  vases,  jars 
and  other  articles,  both  large  and  small,  especially  dur- 
ing the  China-mad  days  in  the  early  part  of  the  century, 
were  freely  employed  as  decorative  adjuncts. 

From  the  middle  of  the  century  onward,  when  the 
Adam  influence  had  become  dominant,  the  same  dec- 
orative accessories  as  just  enumerated  continued  to  be 
used,  but  their  forms  naturally  underwent  such  modifi- 
cations as  rendered  them  in  keeping  with  the  altered 
conceptions  of  elegant  design.  With  the  ornate  wall 
surfaces  of  many  of  the  Adam  rooms,  there  was  less 
opportunity  to  use  the  tapestries  which  earlier  in  the 
centuiy  had  continued  to  enjoy  at  least  a  certain  cur- 
tailed degree  of  favour.  The  method  of  draping  win- 
dow hangings  was  often  more  involved  and  the  cornices 
surmounting  them  frequently  assumed  more  preten- 


60  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

tious  forms  than  had  hitherto  been  common.  Chande- 
liers were  lighter  in  line  and  more  intricate  in  design 
and  there  was  a  preference  for  metal  with  numerous 
pendent  glass  prisms  rather  than  for  wood  painted  and 
gilt  or  for  brass  alone  in  its  more  robust  but  graceful 
designs.  Sconces,  too,  reflected  the  same  trend  toward 
attenuation  and  were  quite  generally  adorned  with  cut 
glass  drops  and  pendent  prisms  which  greatly  added 
to  the  brilliance  and  lustre  of  the  illumination  when  the 
candles  were  lighted.  The  sconces,  also,  not  uncom- 
monly displayed,  along  with  mirror  frames,  the  airy 
surmounting  or  surrounding  ornaments  wrought  in  gilt 
compo  supported  on  wires.  In  the  heads  of  mirrors 
were  often  inserted  paintings  with  classic  motifs  or  de- 
signs in  gilt  relief  on  a  ground  of  plain  colour  or  else 
devices  painted  in  reverse  on  the  under  side  of  the 
glass. 

Materials  and  Colour. — In  the  early  part  of  the  cen- 
tury the  woods  chiefly  used  were  oak,  walnut  and,  for 
panelling,  deal  and  pine  and  fir  also.  About  1720  ma- 
hogany, while  not  wholly  displacing  the  others,  came 
into  use  for  cabinet  purposes  and  grew  more  and  more 
popular.  Gesso  laid  over  a  pine  foundation  and  gilt  was 
also  an  important  source  of  decoration. 

The  fabrics  were  brocades,  velvets,  plain  and  with 
cut  pile  figures,  brocatelles,  damasks  and  silks.  The 
simpler  fabrics  were  printed  linens,  muslins  and 
chintzes.  In  both  cases  the  colours  were  strong  and 
vigorous  and  the  designs  usually  bold  and  often  large 
in  detail.  As  the  century  wore  on  the  diversity  and 
brilliance  of  colouring  became  less  pronounced.  Pale 
alid  delicate  pastel  colours  were  freely  employed  and 
stripes  had  a  tremendous  vogue.  The  patterns  on  the 
brocades  were  refined  in  scale  and  often  attenuated  in 


ENGLAND  AND  AMERICA  61 

accord  with  the  prevalent  trend  of  contemporary  style. 
Even  when  the  colours  used  were  fairly  vigorous,  they 
were  so  disposed  in  quantity  that  their  emphasis  was 
appreciably  modified.  Needlework  in  petit  point  and 
gros  point  also  played  a  prominent  part  for  the  cov- 
ering of  furniture. 

After  the  middle  of  the  century  and  all  through  the 
period  of  Adam  ascendency,  while  mahogany  retained 
a  place  of  honour,  satinwood  and  other  light  coloured 
woods,  such  as  sycamore  or  harewood,  maple  and  simi- 
lar light  toned  materials  enjoyed  huge  popularity,  for 
the  whole  tendency  of  the  time  was  toward  a  lighter  and 
more  cheerful  and  blithesome  colour  scheme.  Not  only 
was  furniture  very  commonly  made  of  light  coloured 
wood  or  painted  some  light  tone,  but  the  fixed  wood- 
work also  was  painted  in  various  pale  hues,  as  were 
the  walls  and  ceilings.  The  scale  of  the  earlier  work, 
both  in  architectural  usage  and  in  furniture  contours 
and  decorative  motifs  was  heavier  and  required  heavier 
colours ;  the  lighter  scale  and  refined,  attenuated  motifs 
of  the  Adam  period  demanded  lighter  colours  and 
would  have  looked  utterly  out  of  place  with  the  full- 
bodied  tones  of  an  earlier  era. 

The  same  thing  was  true  of  fabrics.  The  silks, 
damasks,  brocades,  velvets  and  other  stuffs  used  for 
hangings  and  upholstery  were  light  in  colour  and  re- 
fined in  the  details  of  their  pattern.  At  this  time  also 
Aubusson  tapestry,  by  the  nature  of  its  colour,  design 
and  texture,  came  into  vogue  for  furniture  covering  and 
also  for  rugs  and  carpets. 

Arrangement. — During  the  earlier  part  of  the  cen- 
tury, while  symmetry  and  formality  of  arrangement 
were  duly  considered  in  the  disposition  of  the  movable 
furnishings,  there  was  still  a  certain  amount  of  the  cas- 


62  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

ual  latitude  of  earlier  days  to  be  seen  in  the  placement 
of  the  principal  articles  that  entered  into  the  composi- 
tion of  a  room.  Under  the  Adam  regime,  however,  the 
principles  of  formality  and  balanced  symmetry  were 
caried  to  their  fullest  limit.  It  was  the  period  of  the 
dominance  of  pairs.  It  might  be  pairs  of  consoles,  or 
pairs  of  sconces,  or  pairs  of  sofas,  or  pairs  of  candel- 
abra— but  wherever  there  was  an  opportunity  to  intro- 
duce the  element  of  balance  by  the  use  of  duplicates,  the 
opportunity  was  seized  and  made  the  most  of. 


CHAPTER  III 

INTERIOR  DECORATION  IN  ITALY  PRIOR  TO 
THE  EIGHTEENTH  CENTURY 

/NTRODUCTION.—The  golden  age  of  Italian 
wall  decoration,  furniture  making  and  furnishing 
began  about  the  middle  of  the  fifteenth  century  and 
continued  through  the  sixteenth  and  seventeenth.  It 
was  veritably  a  golden  age  in  point  of  virility,  freshness 
and  fertility  of  conception  and  the  national  genius  was 
manifested  in  the  vigorous  design  of  the  furniture,  in 
the  way  in  which  it  was  disposed  and  in  the  preparation 
of  the  background  as  well  as  in  other  important 
branches  of  art.  Added  to  the  native  well  springs  from 
which  flowed  a  copious  stream  of  Renaissance  inspira- 
tion was  the  powerful  impetus  derived  from  the  dias- 
pora of  Byzantine  culture  resulting  from  the  fall  of 
Byzantium  before  the  Ottoman  onslaught  in  1453. 

Prior  to  the  period  at  which  we  begin  our  considera- 
tion of  interior  decoration  in  Italy,  wars  and  rumours 
of  wars,  petty  though  they  were  compared  with  the 
magnitude  of  modern  military  operations,  chiefly  occu- 
pied the  minds  and  energies  of  the  princes  and  the 
rulers  of  the  small  republics  and  there  was  almost  in- 
cessant strife  between  two  or  more  of  the  various  in- 
dependent states  or  civil  jurisdictions  among  which  the 
Italian  peninsula  was  parcelled.  Under  the  unstable 
conditions  consequent  upon  the  chronically  disturbed 
state  of  society  there  was  comparatively  little  oppor- 
tunity for  either  the  accumulation  or  spending  of  pri- 
vate wealth  and  it  is  scarcely  to  be  wondered  at  that  a 
native  taste  for  household  luxury  and  refinement  found 

63 


64  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

scant  scope  for  gratification  when  the  development  of 
the  arts  of  domestic  embellishment  was  so  seriously 
retarded.  In  the  majority  of  cases  men's  minds  were 
either  almost  wholly  centred  upon  political  and  mili- 
tary affairs  or  else  their  mental  and  physical  activities 
were  directed  into  ecclesiastical  channels.  Cultural  de- 
velopment in  the  secular  world  was  badly  handicapped. 

With  the  advent  of  an  era  of  greater  political  sta- 
bility, however,  commerce  revived  and  flourished  apace, 
personal  and  civic  wealth  accumulated,  the  resources 
of  the  municipalities  were  less  constantly  drained  by 
the  heavy  exactions  of  internecine  warfare,  and  the 
spirit  of  creative  art,  never  wholly  dormant  even  dur- 
ing the  times  of  greatest  strife  and  turmoil,  came 
quickly  into  its  own  again,  drawing  renewed  inspira- 
tion from  the  abundant  treasures  of  Italian  antiquity 
and  deriving  likewise  a  quickening  impulse  from  the 
culture  of  Byzantium,  the  remnants  of  whose  rich  heri- 
tage were  brought  to  Italy  by  the  numerous  refugees 
from  the  fallen  capital  of  the  Eastern  Empire.  The  re- 
birth of  art,  in  all  its  phases,  experienced  the  strong 
impetus  of  natural  reaction  after  a  period  of  repres- 
sion. Domestic  and  industrial  arts  blossomed  and 
throve  in  new-found  security.  Private  wealth  fostered 
the  efforts  of  artists  and  craftsmen  while  princes  and 
potentates  vied  with  each  other  in  liberal  patronage  of 
the  arts  both  fine  and  applied.  The  story  of  the  Medici 
in  Florence  affords  an  illuminating  commentary  on  this 
phase  of  Italian  cultural  history  and  the  story  of  many 
other  great  contemporary  families  might  likewise  be 
appropriately  cited  to  the  same  end. 

Architectural  Background  and  Methods  of  Fiaed 
Decoration. — In  this  golden  age  of  restored  tranquillity, 
stately  villas,  that  often  rivalled  the  splendours  of  their 
ancient  Eoman  prototypes,  rapidly  succeeded  to  grim 


PLATE  13 


PLATE   14 


w;iiif 

i   Q..V   y  —       .  .'  -wf.lt.  J  V_^Y  . --j^y. 


, 

H          •«    '       /     5S 

I    — ?u    »fr  (••v>~ 


PLATE  15 


A    SALON  ON  FIRST  FLOOR.  PALAZZO  DAVANZATI,  FIREXZE,  FIFTEENTH  CENTURY 
Courtesy  of  William  Helburn,  Inc. 


BED    CHAMBER,    PALAZZO    DAVANZATI.    FIRENZE.    FIFTEENTH    CENTURY 

Courtesy  of  William  Helburn,  Inc. 


PLATE    16 


ITALY  65 

castles  and  fortified  houses.  Nobles  and  wealthy  mer- 
chants and  landowners  felt  free  to  forsake  the  crowded 
restraint  of  urban  life  for  the  larger  liberty  of  resi- 
dence among  the  groves  and  gardens  of  their  estates. 
The  abodes  they  built,  with  the  aid  of  the  best  archi- 
tects of  the  day,  were  broad  and  lofty  and  fully  ex- 
pressive of  the  urbane,  though  withal  vigorous,  ele- 
gance of  the  age.  The  rooms  were  commonly  of  great 
dimensions  and  their  height  is  one  of  the  most  impres- 
sive features  of  their  proportions.  It  was,  indeed,  the 
era  of  the  great  hall  (Plate  13)  and  princely  salon. 
Such  were  the  habits  of  domestic  life  that  the  small 
drawing-room  and  intimate  boudoir  had  little  place 
in  the  household  scheme  and  the  personal  require- 
ments of  the  immediate  members  of  the  family  were 
easily  satisfied  with  the  simplest  of  provisions.  Clas- 
sic conceptions  of  design  were  everywhere  asserting 
themselves  and  we  find  a  strong  rectilinear  emphasis 
(Plate  13)  predominant  in  nearly  all  of  these  imposing 
apartments.  There  were,  of  course,  plenty  of  round 
vaulted  ceilings  (Plate  20  A  and  B ;  Plate  18)  and  round 
arched  windows  or  doorheads  enriched  by  a  counter- 
sunk semi-circular  tympanum  (Plate  15  A)  above  them. 
But,  notwithstanding  all  this  and  the  occasional  pres- 
ence of  round-arched  arcades,  the  dominant  emphasis 
was  rectilinear  and  this  same  quality  was  reflected  in 
the  contour  of  the  furniture  that  was  designed  to  equip 
these  spacious  interiors. 

In  the  matter  of  fixed  decoration  and  interior  en- 
richment, Italian  interiors  of  the  period  under  consid- 
eration may  be  divided  into  two  classes.  The  first  class 
is  composed  of  the  interiors  where  all  or  a  great  por- 
tion of  the  background — walls,  ceiling  and  floor — was 
highly  decorated  and  rich  in  colour  (Plates  15  B,  16, 18, 
19  and  139).  The  second  class  is  composed  of  interiors 
5 


66  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

where  only  a  minor  portion  (Plates  13,  15  A,  20  A  and 
B,  and  127)  or  none  of  the  background  is  decorated  and 
where  the  physical  setting  presents  an  aspect  of  severe 
restraint  and,  sometimes,  even  of  austerity.  In  the 
first  class  belong  the  rooms  whose  walls  and  ceilings  are 
gorgeous  with  frescoes  and  gilding  (Plates  16,  18  and 
19),  the  encrustation  of  coloured  marbles  or  the  poly- 
chrome and  parcel  gilt  enrichment  of  diaper  work 
(Plate  15  B)  and  heraldic  blasoning,  while  the  floors 
accord  with  the  rest  of  the  scheme  in  their  display  of 
multi-coloured  marbles  (Plates  18,  19  and  139)  or  mo- 
saic. In  the  second  class  belong  the  rooms  whose  walls 
and  vaulted  ceilings  are  severely  plain  and  whose  floors 
are  of  plain  stone,  tiles  (Plates  13,  15  A  and  B  and  16) 
or  boards.  The  points  of  architectural  embellishment 
are  the  carved  fireplace  (Plates  15  A  and  20  A  and 
111  C)  and  its  hood  or  chimney  piece,  the  doorways 
(Plate  14,  1;  15  A,  18  and  19)  and,  if  there  be  a  flat 
wooden  ceiling  instead  of  vaulting,  the  beams  and  cor- 
bels (Plates  13,  15  A  and  B  and  127).  Occasionally, 
also,  a  niche  (Plate  127)  with  doors  to  enclose  a  shrine 
might  be  given  architectural  emphasis.  In  such  in- 
teriors colour  was  frequently  introduced  on  the  doors 
themselves  (Plate  14,  2),  in  a  countersunk  tympanum 
above  the  doorway,  if  perchance  this  bit  of  diversity 
were  added,  on  the  beams  and  boards  of  the  ceiling 
(Plates  13 ;  14—3,  4  and  5 ;  15  A  and  B)  and  on  the  in- 
side shutters  of  the  windows.  It  need  scarcely  be 
pointed  out  that  such  an  interior  provided  an  admirable 
foil  for  the  advantageous  display  of  hangings  and  fur- 
niture (Plates  13  and  15  A  and  B).  No  matter,  how- 
ever, whether  an  interior  was  elaborately  ornate  or 
severely  simple,  the  Italian  furniture  of  the  period  pos- 
sessed such  flexibility  of  character  that  it  looked  equally 
well  against  either  background  and  to  this  peculiar 


PLATE  17 


PLATE  18 


PLATE  19 


ITALY  67 

quality  we  shall  have  occasion  to  refer  more  at  length 
in  a  subsequent  division. 

Furniture  and  Its  Decoration. — From  the  middle  or 
latter  part  of  the  fifteenth  century  onward,  the  display 
of  movable  furniture  in  the  regal  rooms  of  Italian  pal- 
aces and  villas,  and  in  the  scarcely  less  regal  rooms  of 
the  lesser  country  houses  and  town  dwellings  of  the 
well-to-do  citizens,  was  scanty  when  judged  by  modern 
standards.  "When  the  walls  of  the  galleries  and  sa- 
loons were  covered  with  frescoes  (Plates  16, 18  and  19), 
or  hung  with  arras,  tapestry,  brocades  (Plate  17),  rich 
velvet  from  Genoa,  or  with  stamped  and  gilt  leather; 
when  the  ceilings  were  painted  (Plates  16,  18  and  19) 
or  heavily  carved  and  gilded ;  when  the  floors  were  inlaid 
with  the  choicest  marbles  and  mosaics,  many  objects 
about  would  detract  from  the  magnificence  of  the  whole 
and  leave  a  confused  impression  on  the  mind.  This  the 
unerring  taste  of  the  sixteenth  century  decorators  fully 
realised.  The  few  pieces  of  furniture  that  were  admit- 
ted, however,  were  in  keeping  with  their  surroundings, 
and  are  marvels  of  workmanship.  Every  kind  of  splen- 
did material  was  employed  in  their  manufacture  and 
adornment."  The  chests  or  cassoni,  which  from  the 
earliest  times  were  conspicuous  and  highly  significant 
pieces  of  furniture  in  Italian  furnishing  schemes,  placed 
in  the  halls  and  corridors  or  salons,  "were  used  to  pre- 
serve tapestries,  clothes,  plate  and  most  of  the  valu- 
ables used  by  wealthy  Italians. ' '  Carved  with  scrolls, 
foliage  and  figures  in  high  relief  or  richly  embellished 
on  the  front  and  cover  with  paintings,  "  either  illustra- 
tive of  the  lives  of  saints,  scenes  taken  from  classical 
mythology  or  historical  incidents"  and  blasoned  in  the 
proper  tinctures  with  family  armorial  bearings,  the 
cassoni  were  indeed  impressive  pieces  of  furniture  and 
well  calculated  to  compel  and  centre  attention.  They 


68  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

were  often  lined  inside  with  linen  or  even  with  gorgeous 
silks  and  brocades  strained  tightly  over  the  wood.  The 
cassone  was  one  of  the  most  valuable  presents  given  to 
a  bride,  and  when  it  fulfilled  the  role  of  a  dower  chest  it 
was  generally  adorned  by  picturing  some  incident  taken 
from  one  of  the  well-known  love  tales.  To  some,  indeed, 
it  may  seem  that  these  cassoni — and,  for  the  matter  of 
that,  not  a  few  of  the  other  articles  of  Italian  Renais- 
sance furniture — were  "almost  overpoweringly  decor- 
ated ' '  without  ever  giving  the  eye  a  single  spot  on  which 
to  stop  and  rest.  Many  such  profusely  ornamented 
pieces  placed  in  the  same  room,  it  is  true,  would  have 
been  unbearable.  But  the  Italians  did  not  so  use  them. 
The  cassone  was  designed  and  decorated  with  a  clear 
perception  of  the  principle,  so  characteristic  of  much  of 
the  best  Italian  and  Spanish  work,  whether  architec- 
tural or  mobiliary,  of  concentrating  enrichment  in  one 
spot  and  isolating  it  against  a  background  either  simple, 
at  times  to  the  extent  of  austerity,  or  else  so  fully  cov- 
ered with  elaborate  repeats  (Plate  15  B)  that  it  as- 
sumed the  quality  of  a  richly  coloured  texture  of  vir- 
tually neutral  action  in  affording  the  necessary  contrast 
to  whatever  clearly  denned  object,  whether  simple  or 
elaborately  adorned,  might  be  placed  against  it.  There 
was  wealth  in  the  golden  age  of  the  Italian  Renaissance 
to  devote  to  a  liberal  patronage  of  the  decorative  arts 
and  the  patronage  bestowed  encouraged  the  develop- 
ment of  furniture  design  and  execution  by  the  most  emi- 
nent craftsmen  and  artists  of  the  period.  They  deemed 
it  worthy  of  their  best  efforts  to  design  a  single  piece  of 
furniture  and  execute  it  with  the  utmost  study  and  care 
as  an  independent  and  complete  work  of  art.  Under 
such  circumstances  the  making  of  a  cassone  was  a  fin- 
ished and  marvellous  achievement  in  itself.  Among  the 
painters  of  panels  for  cassoni  may  be  mentioned  such 


ITALY  69 

masters  as  Botticelli,  Andrea  del  Sarto,  Pesellino, 
Pietro  di  Cosimo  and  the  most  capable  of  their  pupils 
while,  for  the  carvers  of  these  same  amazing  chests, 
Jacquemart  reminds  us  that  we  must  seek  among  the 
foremost  sculptors  of  the  day — Donatello,  Bernardino, 
Ferrante,  Canozzo  and  others  of  equal  renown.  So  far 
as  furniture  was  concerned,  they  were  the  Adams,  the 
Chippendales,  the  Hepplewhites,  the  Angelica  Kauff- 
manns  and  the  Cipriani  of  their  era,  but  far  greater; 
only,  unlike  the  Adelphi,  they  did  not  merely  draw  de- 
signs for  others  to  work  from  but  they  worked  at  the 
furniture  with  their  own  hands  and  thought  no  shame 
of  the  task.  They  esteemed  the  making  of  a  ohest  or 
cabinet  an  honourable  and  legitimate  work  of  art  and 
that  is  why  so  many  of  the  pieces  from  their  hands  are 
surpassingly  beautiful  and  full  of  finished  grace.  Be- 
fore passing  on,  it  will  be  as  well  to  note  that  there  was 
not  a  little  variety  in  the  forms  of  the  cassoni  so  that 
their  decorative  furnishing  potentiality  was  increased 
thereby :  some  of  them  were  merely  rectangular  chests, 
with  or  without  feet,  and  being  flat-topped  served  for 
seats  as  well  as  receptacles;  some  were  shaped  like  a 
sarcophagus  and  had  either  flat  or  rising  tops;  some 
were  low  enough  to  sit  upon  comfortably ;  some  were  as 
high  as  consoles,  and  some  were  raised  on  stands. 

While  cassoni  (Plate  13)  were  undoubtedly  the  most 
omnipresent,  the  most  conspicuous  and  the  most  lav- 
ishly decorated  pieces  of  cabinet  work,  there  was  be- 
sides a  wide  variety  of  wall  furniture  that  went  to  make 
up  the  mobiliary  equipment  of  sixteenth  and  seven- 
teenth century  Italian  rooms.  There  was  the  madia,  a 
hutch-like  cupboard  with  doors,  and  perhaps  several 
shallow  drawers  above  them,  the  whole  structure  sup- 
ported by  trusses  at  each  end.  This  piece  of  furniture 
was  often  used  for  the  stowage  of  food  in  much  the  same 


70  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

way  as  the  dole  cupboards  and  kindred  articles  in  Eng- 
land. There  was  the  credenza  (Plates  20  B  and  15  A 
and  89  B),  an  imposing  and  much  used  article  about 
four  feet  high  and  of  varying  length,  with  doors  in  front 
and  with  or  without  shallow  drawers  above  the  doors. 
In  composition  and  decoration  it  was  an  object  of  dis- 
tinctly architectonic  value.  It  served  the  purpose  of  a 
sideboard  or  buffet  or,  in  apartments  not  used  for  din- 
ing, it  answered  equally  well  the  office  of  a  console. 
Occasionally  a  superstructure  was  added  -at  the  back 
with  one  or  more  shelves  and  in  this  form  it  was  really 
the  historical  precursor  of  the  very  ugly  nineteenth  cen- 
tury sideboard.  In  this  connexion  it  is  worth  noting 
that  the  furniture  designers  of  the  nineteenth  cen- 
tury, who  perpetrated  so  many  of  the  painful  monstros- 
ities of  the  Victorian  era  in  black  walnut,  were  not  an 
ignorant  set  of  men  unacquainted  with  historical  pre- 
cedents. They  did  know  somewhat  of  furniture  his- 
tory, but  with  their  knowledge  they  combined  an  amaz- 
ing degree  of  colossal  bad  taste  which  impelled  them  to 
choose  the  least-inspired  models  of  sixteenth,  seven- 
teenth and  eighteenth  century  Italian,  French  and 
Spanish  provenance  and  add  thereto  their  own  fantas- 
tic aberrations  of  contour  and  embellishment.  Illustra- 
tions of  some  of  the  Victorian  "chefs  dceuvre"  parallel 
with  other  illustrations  of  their  Continental  prototypes 
would  constitute  a  body  of  the  most  damning  evidence. 

Akin  to  the  credenza  in  its  general  scheme  of  struc- 
ture was  the  small  console  or  cabinet  with  doors,  about 
three  or  three  and  a  half  feet  high  by  two  feet  or  a  lit- 
tle more  in  width.  It  served  as  a  stand  on  which  to 
place  a  casket  or  some  other  article  of  decorative  sig- 
nificance. The  exact  reverse  of  this  was  a  similar  piece 
of  cabinet  work,  with  a  small  drawer  beneath  the  doors 
instead  of  above  them,  and  this  was  set  upon  a  table 


ITALY  71 

or  stand ;  in  other  words,  it  was  the  forerunner  of  the 
larger  cabinet,  with  doors  and  drawers,  upon  a  stand 
which  figured  so  prominently  in  furnishing  schemes  of 
a  much  later  date.  A  combination  of  these  two  pieces 
sometimes  occurred  in  a  two-storey  structure  with  doors 
in  both  the  lower  and  upper  parts.  This  double  cabinet 
was  somewhat  wider  than  the  console  first  mentioned 
and  the  upper  part  was  not  quite  so  broad  as  the  lower. 
Altogether  it  was  a  dignified  and  desirable  article  in 
any  well-appointed  room. 

Not  dissimilar  to  it  in  general  appearance  was  the 
writing  cabinet,  of  which  examples  occurred  at  an  early 
date,  with  doors  in  the  lower  part  and  a  falling  front 
in  the  upper  which,  when  let  down,  provided  a  place 
to  write.  A  related  piece  of  writing  furniture  was  the 
cabinet  with  falling  front  which  stood  upon  a  table  or 
stand.  There  were  also  various  wider  and  larger  oab- 
inets  and  presses,  either  divided  in  two  by  lower  and 
upper  sections  or  with  full  length  doors,  in  the  latter 
case  being  virtually  wardrobes,  as  we  understand  the 
term.  Chests  of  drawers,  very  like  in  disposition  to  the 
analogous  article  of  the  eighteenth  century,  were  by  no 
means  unknown. 

Bedsteads,  as  was  the  wont  of  the  period,  were  often- 
times ponderous  affairs;  others,  again,  were  not  of 
cumbrous  proportions.  The  larger  bedsteads  were  fre- 
quently raised  a  pace  or  two  above  the  floor  on  a  dais 
(Plate  15  B)  and  were  both  of  the  post  and  canopy 
(Plate  21  B)  or  tester  type  and  also  of  the  sort  that  had 
headboard  and  lower  footboard  but  no  canopy.  Another 
piece  of  wall  furniture  that  was  not  seldom  elevated  on 
a  dais  to  give  it  greater  state  was  the  cassa  panca,  a 
kind  of  ceremonial  bench  (Plate  15  B)  that  was  in- 
variably given  a  position  of  prominence  and  seems  to 
have  been  the  forerunner  of  the  drawing-room  sofa  of 


72  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

a  later  date  as  regarded  certain  points  of  etiquette  in 
seating  honoured  guests.  The  cassa  panca  was  really 
a  long  chest  with  high,  solid,  massive  arms  and  back, 
the  seat,  which  was  hinged  at  the  back,  being  the  lid. 
Occasionally  there  was  an  high,  throne-like  back  and 
sometimes  the  arms  were  wanting.  The  former  type, 
however,  was  the  more  usual.  A  specimen  in  the  Metro- 
politan Museum  is  eight  feet,  ten  inches  in  length, 
twenty-one  inches  in  depth,  has  a  back  and  arms  rising 
nineteen  inches  from  the  seat  and  stands  on  a  dais  nine 
and  a  half  feet  long  and  five  inches  high. 

From  both  their  structure  and  design  it  is  quite 
obvious  that  not  a  few  of  the  banconi  or  tables  with 
drawers  were  intended  to  stand  against  the  wall  and 
many  of  the  long  tables,  analogous  to  the  English  re- 
fectory tables,  were  likewise  so  placed  and  are,  there- 
fore, under  sundry  circumstances  to  be  reckoned  as 
wall  furniture.  Clothes  hangers  and  mirror  frames 
were  objects  of  careful  design  and  workmanship  and 
are  not  to  be  overlooked  in  an  enumeration  of  wall 
pieces.  The  mirror  frames  were  small  as  only  small 
mirrors  were  available  at  all  and  these  were  scarce. 
Great  care,  nevertheless,  was  bestowed  upon  the  frames 
and  they  possessed  considerable  decorative  importance. 

Besides  the  long  tables,  already  alluded  to,  and  the 
smaller  wall  or  writing  tables  with  drawers  in  them, 
there  was  the  greatest  variety  in  shapes  and  sizes,  as 
might  be  expected  in  an  age  of  exuberant  invention,  and 
all  the  occasional  requirements  in  the  matter  of  tables 
were  well  supplied.  (For  a  detailed  discussion  of  the 
sundry  varieties  of  sixteenth  and  seventeenth  century 
Italian  tables  and  other  pieces  of  furniture  v.  "The 
Practical  Book  of  Italian,  Spanish  and  Portuguese 
Furniture,"  Eberlein  and  McClure;  now  in  prepara- 
tion.) Chairs,  settees,  stools  and  benches  were  of  nil- 


ITALY  73 

inerous  types,  but  all  were  dignified  and  impressive  and 
well  calculated  to  furnishing  ideals  in  which  dignity, 
as  well  as  grace,  was  an  indispensable  requirement. 

Other  Decorative  Accessories  and  Movable  Decora- 
tions.— The  actual  movable  furniture  in  a  sixteenth  or 
seventeenth  century  Italian  salon  did  not  by  any  means 
comprise  all  the  furnishing  of  the  apartment.  The  walls 
and  ceilings,  as  mentioned  before,  might  be  gloriously 
chromatic  with  frescoes  or  mosaic  and,  in  addition  to 
many-hued  and  rich-toned  pigments,  there  would  be  the 
glow  of  gilding  bestowed  in  appropriate  places.  In 
case  the  walls  and  ceilings  were  not  so  adorned  with 
fixed  decorations  on  the  surface,  there  was  the  uni- 
versal delight  in  tapestries  (Plate  13)  and  other  large 
hangings  of  needlework  which  were  prized  doubly  on 
account  of  the  pleasure  and  satisfaction  to  be  derived 
from  the  devices  thereon  depicted  and  likewise  because 
of  their  wealth  of  mellow  colour.  Besides  tapestries  as 
suitable  enrichments  for  plain  walls,  there  was  always 
the  resource  of  pictures.  Then,  furthermore,  there  were 
the  polychrome  maiolica  mural  ornaments  and  mural 
ornaments  consisting  of  wood  carvings  (Plate  15  A) 
painted  and  gilt.  This  wooden  mural  sculpture  was  an 
highly  developed  art  and  justly  prized.  Another  dec- 
orative resource  lay  in  the  pieces  of  marble  sculpture, 
always  dear  to  the  heart  of  an  Italian,  and  in  various 
pieces  of  pottery  of  agreeable  shape  and  colour.  Nor 
must  we  forget  the  carved,  painted  and  gilt  wooden 
candlesticks  (Plate  19)  and  candelabra,  some  of  them 
of  great  height;  nor  the  iron  candelabra  (Plate  15  A), 
gracefully  wrought  and  likewise  coloured  and  gilt  in 
their  embellishment. 

Equally  effective  in  the  matter  of  lending  interest 
to  the  composition  were  the  fixed  decorative  accessories 
such  as  the  paintings  upon  the  doors  themselves,  paint- 


U  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

ings  in  the  tympana  above  doorways,  paintings  upon 
the  wooden  inside  shutters  or  paintings  upon  the  beams 
of  the  ceilings  and  the  corbels  that  supported  those 
beams.  On  the  doors  and  shutters  the  painting  and 
gilding  might  be  only  partial,  to  enhance  the  tone  of 
the  wood,  or  it  might  be  in  a  continuous  diaper  pattern 
or,  again,  some  mythological,  historical  or  religious 
subject  might  be  fully  depicted.  The  painting  of  the 
ceiling  beams  was  done  in  a  purely  conventional  man- 
ner and  was  meant  merely  to  give  the  relief  and  warmth 
of  colour  and  gilding. 

Oftentimes,  when  not  much  colour  appeared  on 
doors  or  shutters,  interest  was  centred  there  by  devices 
executed  either  in  studding  of  iron  nails  (Plate  13)  or 
by  wrought  iron,  sometimes  parcel  coloured  and  gilt, 
applied  in  a  rich  and  delicate  decorative  pattern.  The 
sixteenth  and  seventeenth  century  Italian  smiths  were 
masters  in  their  craft  and  their  decorative  creations  are 
among  some  of  the  most  treasured  relics  they  have 
left  us. 

Last,  but  by  no  means  least,  as  an  item  in  the  com- 
position of  the  sixteenth  and  seventeenth  century  Ital- 
ian interior  was  the  carved  mantel  and  likewise  the 
carved  chimney  piece  that  so  often  accompanied  it. 
These  were  wrought  in  stone  and  in  marble  with  the 
utmost  finesse  and  displayed  all  the  characteristic  dec- 
orative motifs  of  the  period,  including  foliage,  fruits, 
flowers,  arabesques,  grotesques,  masques,  amorini  and 
the  human  figure.  The  carving  was  usually  in  high  and 
bold  relief. 

Materials  and  Colour. — For  the  fixed  architectural 
background,  the  materials  most  commonly  used  were 
stone,  inlaid  and  multi-coloured  marbles,  tiles  or  wood 
for  the  floors.  For  the  walls  they  employed  plaster, 
either  rough  or  smooth,  or  else  encrustations  of  marble 


ITALY  75 

or  mosaic.  When  the  walls  were  to  be  painted  they 
were  coated  with  a  smooth,  hard  plaster;  hard  plaster 
was  likewise  used  when  moulded  decorations  in  relief 
entered  into  the  decorative  scheme.  These  moulded 
decorations  in  plaster  were  often  further  enriched  by 
the  addition  of  colour.  When  sgraffito  decorations  were 
desired  several  successive  coats  of  different-coloured 
plasters  were  laid  on.  For  the  ceilings  either  plaster 
or  wooden  beams,  frequently  carved  and  painted,  were 
the  usual  materials.  Cypress,  oak,  pine  and  walnut 
afforded  the  chief  wood  resources,  although  other  kinds 
were  occasionally  put  to  use.  For  polychrome  decor- 
ated doors  it  was  customary  to  use  pine,  cypress  or  some 
similar  soft  and  easily  worked  wood  as  a  foundation. 
The  surface  was  then  carefully  coated  with  gesso  to 
give  an  absolutely  smooth  and  suitable  ground  for  the 
application  of  the  pigment  and  gold. 

For  furniture,  walnut  was  the  staple  wood  just  as 
oak  was  in  England.  For  cassoni  and  other  pieces, 
however,  that  were  to  be  embellished  with  paint,  poly- 
chrome decoration  and  parcel  gilding  it  was  customary 
to  use  pine  or  cypress  and  cover  it  with  a  preparatory 
coat  of  gesso  before  the  paint  and  gilt  were  put  on. 
If  there  was  any  carved  relief,  the  carving  was  apt  to 
be  crudely  done  and  the  fine  modelling  was  left  for 
manipulation  in  the  gesso.  For  furniture  that  was  not 
to  be  adorned  with  gold  and  colour,  oak,  chestnut,  acacia 
and  other  suitable  woods  from  time  to  time  made  their 
appearance  with  the  occasional  introduction  of  syca- 
more, pear,  rosewood  and  sundry  other  materials  for 
purposes  of  inlay  or  marqueterie. 

For  upholstery,  velvet  of  a  full,  rich  red  was  per- 
haps the  most  favoured  material.  Besides  this  we  find 
cut  pile  velvets,  brocades,  brocatelle  and  damasks  of 
various  colours  as  well  as  gros  point  and  petit  point 


76  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

needlework.  Leather,  both  plain  and  decorated,  was 
also  used  for  the  backs  and  seats  of  chairs.  Much  atten- 
tion, too,  was  paid  to  fringes  and  gold  galons  which 
were  freely  employed.  For  the  lining  of  cassoni  and 
caskets  it  was  not  uncommon  to  use  silks  and  brocades 
of  divers  colours  strained  upon  the  wood. 

Nothing  contributes  more  to  the  enrichment  of  an 
apartment  than  the  use  of  hangings  on  the  walls.  In 
old  Italian  interiors  hangings  were  freely  used  and 
these  hangings  consisted  of  tapestries,  brocades  (Plate 
17)  or  damasks  with  embroidered  orphreys  or  bor- 
ders at  the  sides,  velvets  enriched  with  gold  embroidery 
and  needlework  designs  in  bold  motifs  applique,  and 
large  pieces  of  multi-coloured  needlework  in  floss  or 
silk  thread  on  background  of  silk,  satin,  damask  or  vel- 
vet. Cloth  of  gold  and  silver  were  also  employed. 

From  a  purely  practical  point  of  view,  with  refer- 
ence to  modern  practice,  it  is  to  be  noted  that  the  old 
Italians  fully  realised — they  had  doubtless  found  out 
by  trial  and  experience — that  when  hangings  were  used 
on  the  walls  back  of  large  pieces  of  furniture,  whether 
those  pieces  were  of  carved  or  plain  panelled  walnut, 
or  of  a  gorgeous  polychrome  and  gilt  exterior,  the  very 
nature  of  the  furniture  in  design  and  material  de- 
manded the  association  of  a  fabric  of  full  colour  and 
depth,  of  texture,  such  as  tapestry  or  heavy  red  or 
purple  velvet,  and  that  thinner  or  flatter  textures  looked 
jejune  and  unsuitable.  These  pieces  might,  with  per- 
fect propriety  of  effect,  stand  against  an  austere  and 
bare  wall,  but  if  fabric  was  added  it  had  to  be  of  warm 
hue  and  full  texture. 

In  the  choice  of  colours  for  interior  decoration  there 
was  universal  employment  of  strong,  full-bodied  tones 
and  vigorous  contrasts.  While  the  reds  were  very  red 


ITALY  77 

and  the  blues  very  blue,  the  combinations  and  grada- 
tions were  blended  into  a  most  agreeably  mellow  en- 
semble. An  examination  of  old  Italian  interiors  and 
a  close  scrutiny  of  the  methods  the  sixteenth  and  sev- 
enteenth century  decorators  used  makes  it  quite  evident 
that  it  was  the  practice  to  concentrate  enrichment 
whether  of  objects  or  of  colour  at  strategic  points.  It 
is  also  to  be  noted,  with  reference  to  their  lavish  use 
of  gold,  that  they  well  understood  that  a  great  mass  of 
gold  is  quiet  and  neutral,  that  a  little  gold  at  carefully 
selected  places  is  quiet,  refined  and  enriching,  but  that 
small  amounts  of  gold  distributed  here,  there  and 
everywhere  produce  a  flashy,  cheap  and  noisy  effect. 
Arrangement. — One  of  the  most  striking  things 
about  fine  old  Italian  interiors  is  the  absence  of  crowd- 
ing and  fussiness.  The  decorators  of  the  sixteenth  and 
seventeenth  centuries  seem  fully  to  have  realised  that 
a  few  important  pieces,  well  and  logically  placed,  are 
all  that  are  needed  to  make  a  room.  If  there  are  too 
many  large  pieces  the  effect  of  all  is  spoiled  and  the 
eye  is  apt  to  ignore  the  individual  excellences  of  every 
object  in  the  cluttered  hodge-podge.  Accordingly,  a 
comparatively  few  pieces,  properly  distributed,  were 
relied  upon  to  produce  the  desired  result.  Unless  a 
room  was  exceptionally  large,  and  oftentimes  even  then 
(Plate  17),  it  was  the  custom  to  keep  the  centre  of  the 
floor  clear  of  all  obstructions.  In  some  instances  a  long 
table  (Plates  13, 15  A,  18  and  19)  would  be  placed  down 
the  middle  of  a  very  long  room  or,  instead  of  this,  the 
length  might  be  broken  by  several  smaller  tables  placed 
equidistant  from  the  ends  of  the  room,  with  their  ap- 
propriate accompaniment  of  chairs  or  stools  in  close 
proximity.  The  arrangements  almost  invariably  dis- 
played a  due  regard  for  principles  of  symmetry  and 


78  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

yet,  at  the  same  time,  there  was  a  great  deal  of  elastic- 
ity and  very  little  inclination  to  methods  of  stiff  and 
oppressive  formality.  The  inborn  habit  of  symmetrical 
placement  might  be  seen  in  such  a  grouping,  for  in- 
stance, as  a  long  wall  table  flanked  at  each  side  by  two 
tall-backed  chairs.  This  was  a  very  common  arrange- 
ment but  very  typical  and  serves  well  enough  as  an 
example.  The  brummagem  ideal  of  stuffy  and  clut- 
tered " cosiness"  did  not  appeal  to  them  and  would 
have  been  utterly  abhorrent  to  their  conceptions  of 
dignity  and  elegance. 


CHAPTER  IV 


/NTRODUCTION.—As  the  period  before  the 
eighteenth  century  had  been  an  era  of  spacious  di- 
mensions, of  great  and  lofty  rooms,  of  dignified 
splendour  and  splendid  dignity,  of  intense  virility  and 
vigour  however  rich  and  exuberant  in  the  manifold  mani- 
festations of  architectural  setting  and  mobiliary  equip- 
ment, of  unmistakably  masculine  interpretation  in  all 
the  phases  of  decorative  art,  so  the  eighteenth  century 
was  essentially  a  period  of  femininity  in  decorative  con- 
ceptions, of  intimate  boudoirs  and  highly  elaborated 
drawing-rooms  punctiliously  appointed  with  all  the 
polished  refinements  of  which  fecund  invention  bent 
upon  achieving  an  almost  sybaritic  degree  of  luxury  was 
capable,  of  minute  elegancy,  of  graceful  pliability,  of 
sunny,  blithesome  polychrome  merriment.  If  the  im- 
posing amplitude  and  sweep  of  a  former  generation 
were  absent,  and  if  the  foundations  of  decorative  con- 
ception were  less  serious,  the  happy  domesticity  and 
facile  playfulness  of  the  prevalent  genius,  amounting 
at  times  to  pure  inconsequent  frivolity,  were  very 
human  and  very  fascinating  and,  withal,  sincere,  in  that 
they  faithfully  mirrored  the  spirit  of  the  age.  The 
genius  of  the  preceding  age,  notwithstanding  all  the 
gorgeousness  of  colouring  and  wealth  of  inventive  in- 
genuity, was  a  trifle  sombre;  the  genius  of  the  eigh- 
teenth century,  not  less  opulent  in  its  own  fashion,  was 
fundamentally  gay  and  debonair.  Potency  of  colour 
and  subtlety  of  form  were  no  less  keenly  felt  and  no 

79 


80  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

less  assiduously  courted  than  in  former  years,  but  their 
application  was  in  a  lighter  vein. 

In  a  measure,  the  eighteenth  century  was  a  decadent 
period,  for  the  quality  of  sturdy  creative  originality, 
which  had  so  strongly  characterised  the  work  of  the 
sixteenth  and  seventeenth  centuries,  was  almost  wholly 
dormant.  Italy  was  borrowing  back  again  the  inspira- 
tion she  had  so  lavishly  poured  forth  in  earlier  cen- 
turies for  the  benefit  of  other  countries  and  the 
inspiration  thus  borrowed  back  was  become,  in  the 
course  of  transition,  an  indubitably  second-hand  com- 
modity, bereft  of  fertility  and  verve  so  far  as  creative 
vigour  and  the  divine  spark  of  originality  were  con- 
cerned, like  an  outworn  garment  that  has  grown  thread- 
bare through  the  usage  of  its  temporary  possessor. 
And  yet,  despite  this  promiscuous  borrowing  back,  the 
eighteenth  century  Italian  decorators,  designers  and 
craftsmen  succeeded  in  imparting  an  abundant  measure 
of  national  individuality  to  their  interpretations  so 
that  their  work  stands  quite  apart  from  the  perform- 
ances of  their  contemporaries  in  other  lands  and  is 
easily  recognisable  by  its  qualities  of  charm  which  the 
local  genius  rarely  failed  successfully  to  impart.  While 
it  is  undeniably  true  that  greatness  of  conception,  archi- 
tectonic dignity  of  contour  and  strong  originality  of 
design  were  usually  wanting,  the  native  fertility  of  the 
Italian  craftsman  temperament  was  constantly  in  evi- 
dence through  the  wealth  of  decorative  motifs  and  the 
multiplicity  of  decorative  processes  lavished  on  sur- 
face embellishment,  a  wealth  that  asserted  itself  on 
every  hand  with  an  indomitable  persistence  comparable 
to  that  of  tropical  vegetation.  These  characteristics 
were  equally  to  be  seen  in  the  fixed  architectural  dec- 
orative background  and  also  in  the  execution  of  the 
movable  furnishings. 


PLATE  20 


.4.    HALL,  VILLA  CURONIA,  FLORENCE 

Showing  Vaulted  Ceiling,  Plain  Walls  and  Decorated  Corbels 

Courtesy  of  E.  S.  Dodge,  Esq. 


D.    ROOM,  VILLA  CUROXIA,  FLORENCE 
Tiled  Floor,  Plain  Walls,  Vaulted  Ceiling.    Note  Treatment  of  Doors  and 

Arrangement  of  Furniture 
Courtesy  of  E.  S.  Dodge,  Esq. 


PLATE  21 


A.    DETAIL    OF    MIRROR    GALLERY,    PALAZZO 
DORIA,   ROMA 

Eighteenth  Century.  Baroque  Transition  to  Rococo 
Courtesy  of  Radillo-Pelitti  Co. 


B.  BED  CHAMBER,  CASTELLO  VINCIGLIATA 
Courtesy  of  Radillo-Pelitti  Co 


PLATE  22 


A.    BEDCHAMBER,  VILLA  CURONIA.  FLORENCE 
Showing  Fabric-Covered  Walls 
Courtesy  of  E.  S.  Dodge,  Esq. 


B.  ANTECHAMBER,  VILLA  FABBRICOTTI,  LATE  EIGHTEENTH  CENTURY 

The  Heavy   Baroque   Furniture  is   out   of    place   with  this   Classical   Background 

Courtesy  of  Radillo-Pelitti  Co. 


ITALY  81 

Architectural  Background  and  Methods  of  Fixed 
Decoration. — The  diluted  Baroque  manifestations  that 
had  been  observable  in  the  latter  part  of  the  seventeenth 
century  continued  into  the  early  part  of  the  eighteenth 
(Plate  21  A),  to  be  succeeded,  in  due  season,  and  in  cir- 
cles likely  to  be  affected  by  new  f  ashions,  by  the  lighter, 
more  playful  and  more  involved  Rococo  influences  pat- 
terned after  the  modes  current  in  France,  though 
slightly  modified  in  the  course  of  transition  by  the 
action  of  local  traditions  and  local  preferences  of 
interpretation,  traditions  and  preferences  that  were 
exceedingly  subtle  and  difficult  of  definition  but  never- 
theless very  real  and,  in  the  aggregate,  very  percep- 
tible. In  its  own  time,  virtually  synchronous  with  a  like 
prevalence  in  other  countries,  came  the  absorbing  vogue 
for  "the  Chinese  taste,"  and  it  left  a  strong  impress  of 
Orientalism  on  the  work  done  in  the  immediate  period 
of  its  duration,  while  agreeable  traces  of  its  quondam 
ascendency  and  its  enduring  appeal  could  be  detected 
here  and  there  long  afterward. 

In  sharp  contrast  to  all  this  stylistic  medley,  the 
middle  of  the  century  witnessed  a  vigorous  revival  of 
classic  feeling  (Plate  22  B) — the  swing  of  the  pendulum 
to  the  opposite  extremity  of  the  arc — in  precisely  the 
same  way  that  we  see  the  rise  of  the  Adam  influence 
in  England  and  the  transition  to  the  Louis  Seize  mode 
in  France.  The  Italian  reversion  to  classic  forms  and 
precedents  was  not  less  vigorous  in  its  expression  than 
the  contemporaiy  comparable  movements  elsewhere, 
but  again,  as  on  former  occasions,  the  local  exhibition 
was  tinged  by  local  conception  and  local  methods  of 
adaptation. 

The  close  correspondence  of  these  successive  phases 
of  design  in  the  several  countries,  and  their  almost 
exactly  contemporaneous  procession,  reveal  to  us,  in 

6 


82  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

a  particularly  striking  manner,  the  internationalism 
of  decorative  art. 

In  the  eighteenth  century  the  Italian  salons  and  gal- 
leries were  not  less  splendid  and  .stately  than  they  had 
been  during  the  preceding  era,  but  there  was  far  more 
ample  provision  for*  the  smaller  and  more  intimate  bou- 
doirs and  drawing-rooms  as  well.  And  whether  we 
are  called  upon  to  consider  the  great  salon,  the  smaller 
drawing-room,  the  boudoir  or  the  sumptuously  ap- 
pointed and  dainty  bedroom  of  the  eighteenth  century 
grandame  or  beauty,  we  encounter  the  same  general 
method  of  decorative  treatment.  The  more  permanent 
features,  such  as  frescoes  and  encrustations  of  mosaic 
and  inlay  (Plate  21  A),  and  also  the  more  enduring 
movables  of  the  background  such  as  tapestries  and 
other  gorgeous  hangings  of  large  extent,  remained, 
but  there  was  an  added  sumptuousness  and  fullness  of 
appointments  that  had  not  hitherto  existed.  It  is  true 
that  the  earlier  classification  of  fixed  architectural 
backgrounds — richly  ornate  on  one  hand,  and  austere 
on  the  other — still  held  good,  but  the  severely  simple 
backgrounds  were  very  apt  to  be  much  enhanced  by  the 
addition  of  numerous  movables.  In  not  a  few  instances 
walls  were  covered  with  fabrics  (Plate  22  A)  frequently 
held  in  place  by  mouldings  fastened  on  so  as  to  form 
panels.  Then,  again,  there  was  to  be  seen  an  extensive 
introduction  of  boiserie,  analogous  to  French  and  Eng- 
lish practice,  with  the  panelling  (Plate  21 B)  embel- 
lished with  carving  and  appropriately  painted  and 
parcel  gilt.  In  many  instances,  large  painted  panels, 
sometimes  on  canvas,  sometimes  on  wooden  grounds 
overlaid  with  a  smooth  coating  of  gesso  according  to 
traditional  Italian  practice,  were  set  into  the  walls  and 
surrounded  with  mouldings.  The  subjects  were  warm- 
toned  landscapes  with  prominent  architectural  features 


ITALY  83 

in  the  manner  of  Piranesi,  pastoral  scenes  in  emulation 
of  the  French  creations  of  Watteau,  episodes  or  scenes 
from  classic  mythology,  fruit  and  flower  devices  or 
gaily  coloured  and  sometimes  gilt  Chinese  motifs.  Not 
seldom,  also,  were  mirrors  introduced  into  the  panel- 
ling as  an  highly  effective  decorative  device.  In  the 
tale  of  mural  resources  must  likewise  be  reckoned  wall- 
paper, printed  from  wood  blocks,  with  landscape, 
architectural  and  classic  subjects  executed  in  either 
polychrome  or  monotone  effects.  Nor  should  we  for- 
get another  expedient  sometimes  resorted  to,  especially 
for  the  embellishment  of  loggie  or  partially  open-air 
apartments — the  use  of  canvas  hanging  friezes  and 
panels  painted  with  classic  motifs,  fruits,  flowers  and 
landscapes.  By  every  available  means  the  sumptuous- 
ness  and  multi-colored  gaiety  of  the  background  were 
ensured. 

The  tall  and  elaborately  ornamented  chimney  piece, 
reaching  from  the  mantel  to  the  ceiling  or  nearly  to  the 
ceiling,  gradually  disappeared  as  an  inseparable  struc- 
turally incorporated  factor  of  the  permanent  back- 
ground and  was  succeeded  by  lower  mantels  and  fire- 
place surrounds  reflecting  in  their  decoration  the  suc- 
cessive Baroque,  Rococo  and  Classic  modes  of  the 
period  that  held  sway  in  the  procession  of  fashions  al- 
ready enumerated.  These  mantels  were  made  of  carved 
stone,  carved  wood  and  carved  and  inlaid  marble,  the 
latter  sometimes  displaying  an  exquisite  combination 
of  colours  in  conjunction  with  the  most  delicate  intaglio 
work.  Above  the  mantels  were  set  carved  wooden 
panelling,  paintings,  hangings  or  elaborately  framed 
mirrors. 

Carved,  panelled  or  inlaid  doors  still  formed  im- 
portant parts  of  the  fixed  decorative  background,  but 
the  methods  of  carving,  panelling  and  inlaying  all  re- 


84  .     INTERIOR  DECORATION 

fleeted  the  successively  prevailing  stylistic  phases  of 
the  age.    The  doors  were  often  divided  into  many  pan- 
els of  different  sizes  and  each  panel  contained  a  differ- 
ent subject.    Sometimes  the  doors  were  wholly  without 
panels  on  one  side  and  painted  with  a  continuous  poly- 
chrome landscape,  while  the  obverse  displayed  numer- 
ous panels  each  one  of  which  exhibited  a  landscape  with 
an  architectural  feature  or  else,  in  the  very  small  panels, 
a  decorative  repeat.    The  obverse  of  these  interesting 
and  characteristic  doors  is  also  a  valuable  study  in 
mouldings.  Again,  there  might  be  several  large  panels 
of  Eococo  outline  enclosing  polychrome  and  gilt  decora- 
tive motifs.    Doors  of  this  description  often  bear  elo- 
quent   evidence    to    the    all-prevalent    popularity    of 
Chinoiserie  during  a  certain  epoch  of  Italian  interior 
decoration.    On  the  gold  background  are  painted  Chi- 
nese figures  and  sundry  other  Oriental  motifs,  but, 
curiously  enough,  the  connecting  arabesques  are  of 
unmistakably  Renaissance  provenance  and  betray  the 
peculiarly  local  Italian  touch  of  interpretation.     No 
matter  what  method  of  ornamentation  might  be  em- 
ployed for  the  embellishment  of  doors,  the  Italian 
decorators  were  fully  alive  to  the  importance  of  the  door 
as  an  effective  means  of  enrichment  and  they  failed 
not  to  make  the  most  of  their  opportunities  in  this 
direction,  a  practice  that  we  in  our  day  are  only  begin- 
ning to  appreciate. 

Along  with  the  decoration  of  the  door,  and  closely 
related  to  it,  was  the  use  of  the  overdoor  panel  wrought 
with  some  painted  motif  or  else  the  employment  of 
some  sculptured  overdoor  embellishment  in  wood  or 
stone  or  marble.  The  painted  overdoor  panels  showed 
much  the  same  kind  of  treatment  as  was  to  be  seen  on 
the  painted  doors  themselves  or  on  the  painted  panels 
inserted  in  the  walls  and  surrounded  with  mouldings. 


ITALY  85 

During  the  eighteenth  century  vastly  more  atten- 
tion was  paid  to  carefully  draped  and  hung  door  and 
window  hangings  than  had  formerly  been  the  case.  As 
a  suitable  capping  to  these  hangings,  carefully  designed 
lambrequins  and  valances  were  often  used  and  lent  an 
additional  touch  of  elegance. 

Furniture  and  Decoration. — As  furniture  design  is 
always  more  sensitive  to  stylistic  changes  than  is  archi- 
tecture, and  registers  them  much  more  promptly,  we 
are  prepared  to  find  the  eighteenth  century  Italian  mo- 
biliary  record  showing  all  the  characteristic  indications 
of  the  age  (v .  illustrations  in  Part  III),  which  have  al- 
ready been  noted  in  the  introductory  section  at  the  be- 
ginning of  the  chapter.  The  femininity  of  the  period 
manifested  in  a  variety  of  forms  that  were  obviously 
designed  to  win  the  approval  of  feminine  patronage; 
the  urbanity,  subtlety  and  opulence  of  contour  as  con- 
trasted with  the  strength  of  line,  boldness  and  dignity 
of  aspect,  proceeding  from  vigorous  conception,  observ- 
able in  the  former  centuries  of  heroic  ability  and  origi- 
nality; the  plenitude  of  decoration  and  the  diversity 
of  decorative  processes  utilised — all  these  peculiarities 
figured  prominently  in  the  mobiliary  ensemble  of  the 
era.  While  furniture  proportions  ranged  all  the  way 
from  studied  elegance  to  downright  dumpy  stodginess 
reminiscent  of  the  physique  of  some  of  the  contadini, 
it  must  be  conceded  that  even  the  frequent  stoutness 
of  dimensions  was  generally  coupled  with  great  suavity, 
grace  and  subtlety  of  line.  In  almost  all  cases,  the  fur- 
niture of  the  day  possessed  the  admirable  quality  of 
domesticity  alongwiththe  amiable,  sunny  urbanity  of  its 
genial  makers.  And  just  because  of  its  pliability  of 
character  and  its  easy  domesticity  it  lends  itself  with 
peculiar  readiness  to  modern  uses  in  manifold  environ- 


86  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

ments  where  the  architectural  background  is  not  in- 
sistently rigid  in  its  emphasis. 

If  we  miss  the  well-nigh  heroic  qualities  and  vigour 
of  so  much  of  the  earlier  work,  yet  we  are  to  some 
degree  compensated  by  an  ingenuous  and  companion- 
able informality,  a  measure  of  adaptability  not  there 
before,  a  frequent  dash  of  refreshing  playfulness  and 
a  facile  decorative  value.  Whether  eighteenth  century 
Italian  furniture  was  daintily  elegant  or  most  inform- 
ally domestic,  it  was  always  polite.  The  table  manners 
of  the  sixteenth  and  seventeenth  centuries  were  vig- 
orous and  effective,  but  not  pretty  nor  pleasant ;  lack- 
ing what  we  nowadays  consider  the  indispensables  of 
table  appointment,  people  fell  back  upon  first  princi- 
ples, used  their  fingers  freely,  got  greasy  chins  and 
even  picked  their  teeth  at  the  table.  In  the  eighteenth 
century  table  refinements  had  very  appreciably  ad- 
vanced and,  though  folk  somewhat  came  short  of  the 
straightforward  creative  virility  of  an  earlier  day,  their 
manners  were  vastly  more  elegant  and  agreeable. 
Furniture  has  always  faithfully  reflected  the  social  life 
of  the  period.  Eighteenth  century  Italian  furniture 
was  no  exception  to  the  rule  and,  though  it  may  be  ac- 
cused of  occasional  artificiality  and  the  lack  of  marked 
originality  of  design,  it  invariably  exhibited  that  ur- 
banity of  aspect  that  was  suited  to  the  politer  habits 
of  the  generation  that  used  it. 

At  the  very  beginning  of  the  eighteenth  century,  the 
last  traces  of  old  Italian  vigour  and  individuality  were 
observable  in  the  lines  of  furniture  that  closely  corre- 
sponded with  a  well-known  contemporary  William  and 
Mary  type  in  England — the  type  presenting  straight, 
tapered  legs,  square,  octagonal  or  round,  and  shaped 
stretchers — an  heritage  from  the  Baroque  school  of 
influence.  This  type  was  soon  succeeded  by  forms  of 


ITALY  & 

Conspicuously  curvilinear  dominance  (Plate  22  A)  cor- 
responding pretty  closely  with,  the  Queen  Anne  and 
early  Georgian  manifestations  in  England.  The  mel- 
lowness of  contour  in  much  of  this  furniture  is  singu- 
larly commendable  and  engaging. 

As  to  the  great  variety  of  contours  to  be  met  with 
throughout  the  century,  it  is  well  for  the  reader  to 
remember  that  analogies  in  form  between  Italian  furni- 
ture and  contemporary  types  in  England  and  France 
were  sufficiently  close  to  enable  anyone  with  a  fair 
knowledge  of  French  and  English  mobiliary  develop- 
ments to  classify  Italian  pieces  chronologically  and  to 
understand  their  affinities  and  concomitant  decorative 
phenomena.  Whatever  we  find  in  English  and  French 
furniture — Queen  Anne  forms,  evidences  of  "the  Chin- 
ese taste,"  Chippendale  elaborations,  Adam,  Hepple- 
white  and  Sheraton  refinements,  Louis  Quinze  frivoli- 
ties, Louis  Seize  classicism,  the  pedantic  literalness  of 
the  Directoire  or  the  pomp  and  occasional  bombast  of 
the  Empire — that  we  are  almost  certain  to  find  echoed 
also  in  the  Italian  furniture  of  the  same  date. 

The  least  happy  and  prepossessing  of  all  the  eigh- 
teenth century  Italian  furniture  manifestations  were  the 
adaptations  of  the  Louis  Quinze  Rococo  extravagances 
and  exaggerations.  The  French  prototypes,  when  once 
they  escaped  from  the  discreet  and  cunning  hands  of 
master  designers,  might  descend — a  fact  we  have  all 
too  often  been  obliged  to  witness — to  shallow  weakness, 
flippancy,  or  even  positive  imbecility.  The  Italian  emu- 
lators of  tlie  less  inspired  Louis  Quinze  models  might 
arrive  at  any  of  the  faults  just  mentioned  and,  in  addi- 
tion, complete  the  debacle  by  achieving  a  result  either 
grotesque  or  simperingly  flaccid.  The  foregoing  stric- 
tures, of  course,  do  not  apply  to  well-executed  pieces 
patterned  after  worthy  Louis  Quinze  models — and 


88  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

there  were  such,  endowed  with  real  beauty.  Unfortu- 
nately, however,  the  ill-favoured  kind  were  in  the 
majority. 

Of  altogether  different  calibre  was  the  type  of  fur- 
niture that  succeeded  when  the  revival  of  Classicism 
made  itself  felt  about  the  middle  of  the  century.  Thence 
onward  there  was  genuine  and  almost  universal  artistic 
merit  in  the  handiwork  of  the  Italian  chair  and  cabinet 
makers.  The  square-backed  seating  furniture  is  worthy 
of  special  praise  and  either  originals  dating  from  this 
time  or  reproductions  are  among  some  of  the  best  dec- 
orative assets  to  which  the  present  generation  has 
fallen  heir.  A  great  proportion  of  the  contemporary 
cabinet  work  was  not  less  lovely  both  in  point  of  refined 
contour  and  in  the  matter  of  the  decoration  bestowed. 
The  later  Directoire  and  Empire  manifestations  like- 
wise were  dignified  in  contour  and  highly  agreeable  in 
their  decoration. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  the  eighteenth  century 
Italians  were  an  highly  polished  and  cultured  people, 
habitually  accustomed  to  all  the  elegancies  and  refine- 
ments of  life.  In  this  respect  they  were  second  to  none. 
It  was  at  this  period  that  the  sons  of  the  English  gentry 
and  nobility  were  customarily  sent  to  take  the  "  grand 
tour,"  after  they  had  completed  their  course  at  the  uni- 
versities, as  an  indispensable  crowning  touch  to  their 
education.  Their  stay  in  Italy  was  regarded  as  pecu- 
liarly conducive  to  a  humanising  result  and  their  inter- 
course with  educated  Italians  was  deemed  a  sine  qua 
non  to  the  broadening  of  their  intellectual  outlook. 
Under  such  conditions,  then,  it  would  be  folly  to  imagine 
that  the  Italians  should  in  any  wise  fall  short  of  the 
most  punctiliously  complete  sumptuary  equipment. 
The  eighteenth  century,  so  often  referred  to  in  English 
history  as  the  very  heyday  of  fine  furniture  making 


ITALY  89 

and  refinements  of  domestic  art,  was  an  age  indeed 
when  everything  in  the  realm  of  furniture  was  highly 
specialised  and  when  every  requirement  was  satisfied 
by  a  piece  of  furniture  especially  designed  to  meet  it. 
This  condition,  with  which  we  are  all  more  or  less  fa- 
miliar in  its  English  aspect,  was  quite  as  prevalent 
elsewhere  and  a  fully  itemised  tale  of  all  the  furnish- 
ing accessories  commonly  made  use  of  in  the  equipment 
of  a  well-appointed  Italian  household  of  the  period 
would  make  a  list  far  too  long  to  give  in  this  place. 
Nor  is  there  any  real  need  to  do  so.  (For  detailed  in- 
formation on  this  subject  the  reader  is  referred  to  ' '  The 
Practical  Book  of  Italian,  Spanish  and  Portuguese 
Furniture,"  Eberlein  and  McClure,  now  in  prepara- 
tion.) It  will  suffice  if  we  direct  attention  to  some  of 
the  most  characteristic  pieces.  Under  the  general 
classification  of  wall  furniture,  besides  the  standard 
complement  of  bedsteads,  wardrobes,  secretaries,  bur- 
eau-bookcases, bookcases,  chests  of  drawers,  dressing 
stands,  chests,  cabinets  and  cupboards  to  be  found  in 
use  in  every  country,  especial  heed  should  be  paid  to 
the  numerous  forms  of  corner  cabinets,  to  the  sundry 
types  of  bedside  tables,  to  the  credenze,  console  cab- 
inets and  consoles,  to  the  prie-dieus,  to  the  writing 
tables  and  to  the  spinet  cases.  Under  the  head  of 
seating  furniture  and  tables  we  meet  with  an  uncom- 
monly rich  diversity  of  chairs,  sofas,  window  seats, 
stools,  benches  and  a  great  variety  of  tables,  many  of 
them  of  exceedingly  ingenious  contrivance  for  occa- 
sional or  special  uses. 

The  quarter  circle  corner  cabinets  or  cupboards, 
hanging  or  standing  upon  legs ;  the  bombe  front  corner 
cabinet ;  the  shaped  front  full  length  corner  cupboards ; 
the  highly  decorated  wardrobes;  the  Venetian  cre- 
denze; the  large  and  small  consoles  and  sets  of  consoles ; 


90  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

the  bedside  tables  and  manifold  other  special  small 
tables — all  of  these  are  fascinating  in  themselves  and 
should  be  especially  investigated  because  they  impart 
a  distinctly  characteristic  local  note  to  eighteenth  cen- 
tury Italian  interior  decoration  and  also  because  they 
will  prove  fruitful  sources  of  inspiration  by  which  we 
may  profit  in  our  own  present-day  decorative  ventures. 
The  decorative  processes  commonly  employed  to 
enrich  the  furniture  of  the  eighteenth  century  were  in- 
lay of  woods  in  contrasting  colours,  inlay  with  mosaics 
and  marbles,  inlay  of  engraved  bone — an  heritage  from 
Spanish  precedents  and  also  from  Venetian  practice 
based  upon  examples  imported  from  the  East — mar- 
queterie,  lacquer,  polychrome  painting,  gilding  both  in 
combination  with  the  natural  wood  and  in  conjunction 
with  painting,  inlay  in  conjunction  with  traced  and 
painted  devices,  sgraffito  painting  with  gilding — a  prac- 
tice, which,  however,  had  become  almost  obsolete — the 
application  of  printed  and  coloured  paper  devices  upon 
a  painted  or  lacquered  ground,  the  application  of  pan- 
els painted  on  canvas  to  a  painted  ground  and,  finally, 
carving,  the  latter  being  one  of  the  most  important  deo- 
orative  resources,  as  was  universally  the  case  in  all 
European  countries.  Nearly  all  of  these  processes  were 
conducive  to  the  production  of  brilliant  chromatic  ef- 
fects arid  we  are  quite  justified  in  regarding  Italian  fur- 
niture of  the  eighteenth  century  as  one  of  the  strongest 
and  most  facile  exponents  of  the  intense  national  sense 
and  love  of  colour.  In  considering  the  mobiliary  pro- 
ductions of  the  period  a  convenient  division  may  be 
made  of  those  pieces  in  which  the  natural  colour  and 
grain  of  the  wood  appear;  and,  secondly,  of  those  in 
which  the  whole  body  is  covered  with  an  applied  ground 
of  colour.  (Full  details  of  all  the  aforementioned 
processes  are  contained  in  "The  Practical  Book  of 


ITALY  91 

Italian,  Spanish  and  Portuguese  Furniture,"  already 
mentioned.) 

The  decorative  devices  used  as  motifs  in  the  appli- 
cation of  the  foregoing  decorative  processes  were 
numerous  and  widely  varied  but  seemed  to  enjoy  peri- 
ods of  special  favour  and  follow  each  other  in  cycles 
of  fashion.  Very  early  in  the  century  we  find  a  predi- 
lection for  the  fine-leaved  foliated  scroll  inlay,  some- 
what analogous  to  the  seaweed  marqueterie  of  the  late 
William  and  Mary  epoch  in  England,  but  derived  from 
precedents  of  Venetian  provenance.  There  were  also 
Baroque  scrolls,  cockleshells  and  cartouches  which 
afforded  fruitful  opportunities  for  adaptation.  Early 
in  the  century,  also,  about  the  time  when  "the  Chinese 
taste ' '  was  exerting  a  powerful  influence  upon  popular 
fancy,  we  find  the  decorators  having  recourse  to  tea 
houses,  bridges,  pagodas,  mandarins,  coolies  and  ladies 
of  Cathay  adopted  bodily  without  other  alteration  than 
was  inevitable  from  an  Occidental  touch  in  the  process 
of  execution,  and,  still  more  did  the  Italian  decorators 
levy  upon  the  motifs  taken  from  Chinese  vases  in  the 
shape  of  light  panels,  reserved  on  a  deeper  ground  of 
another  colour,  and  an  infinity  of  small  polychrome 
flowers.  These  small  flowers  of  obviously  Chinese  in- 
spiration were  also  plentifully  supplemented  by  small 
flowers  and  leaves  of  a  more  naturalistic  European 
source  in  drawing  and  colour.  Many  of  these  floral 
decorations  were  minute  in  scale  and,  abundantly 
spread  over  the  surface  to  be  decorated,  gave  the  ef- 
fect of  a  powdered  design.  The  Venetians,  even  late  in 
the  century,  manifested  a  marked  fondness  for  this 
type  of  embellishment. 

The  Italians  have  always  evinced  an  attachment 
to  stripes  and  chequerings,  and  stripes  and  chequerings, 
ingeniously  and  effectively  disposed  and  often  with 


92  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

the  greatest  delicacy,  recur  again  and  again,  very  fre- 
quently along  with  herring  bone  borders  of  alternating 
colours,  throughout  the  period.  Foliations  of  various 
sorts,  guilloche  bands,  rosettes  and  sundry  forms  of 
acanthus  had  an  almost  uninterrupted  vogue,  especially 
in  carved  work. 

With  the  return  of  a  strong  Classic  impetus  about 
the  middle  of  the  century  there  was  naturally  a  rever- 
sion to  Classic  motifs.  From  this  time  onward  we  find 
concurrently  employed  not  only  the  devices  drawn  di- 
rectly from  the  pure  well-spring  of  Greek  and  Eoman 
antiquity  but  also  the  more  mixed  devices  of  the  Ee- 
naissance — arabesques,  grotesques,  masques,  amorini, 
chimseras  and  the  like  along  with  acanthus  and  other 
foliated  forms.  Late  in  the  century  we  come  to  the 
vogue  for  griffin  and  military  attributes  that  marked 
the  Directoire  and  Empire  phases.  During  the  whole 
period  landscapes  of  one  sort  or  another  were  in  con- 
tinuous use,  from  the  pastoral  subjects  of  the  mid  cen- 
tury, in  emulation  of  Watteau,  to  the  strangely  diversi- 
fied paper  applique  creations  that  remind  one  of 
decalcomanias. 

Decorative  Accessories  and  Movable  Decorations — 
In  this  fully  furnished  century,  so  amply  provided  with 
all  other  items  of  movable  equipment,  the  sundry  ac- 
cessories of  furnishing  are  correspondingly  numerous 
and  divers.  In  their  tale  are  to  be  reckoned  carpets  and 
rugs,  pictures,  the  most  elaborate  and  varied  sconces, 
mirrors  and  girandoles,  hangings  not  only  such  as  tap- 
estries, embroideries  and  decorative  applique  on  fabrics 
of  rich  colour  and  texture  but  also  the  hangings  of  silks, 
brocades  and  velvets  along  with  embroidered  and  ap- 
plique valances,  all  of  which  belonged  more  definitely  in 
the  realm  of  upholstery;  sculptures  in  the  shape  of 
statuary  and  beautifully  modelled  urns  and  vases, 


ITALY  93 

Chinese  porcelain  jars  and  vases,  multi-coloured  mai- 
olica  plaques  and  bright-hued  jars  of  large  size,  candel- 
abra, standards  and  other  objects  of  deftly  wrought 
ironwork  enriched  with  parcel  colouring  and  gilt,  and 
ornate  chandeliers  which  in  the  eighteenth  century  had 
begun  to  assume  an  importance  and  popularity  in  dec- 
orative schemes  far  beyond  the  wront  of  earlier  periods. 
Surely  a  goodly  array  of  resources  to  aid  the  interior 
decorator ! 

Materials  and  Colour. — The  materials  called  into 
service  for  furnishings  included  woods  of  many  vari- 
eties and  colours  along  with  bone,  mosaic  and  marbles 
for  inlay  and  the  metal  mounts  employed ;  ironwork  in 
sundry  f onns ;  marble  for  the  stately  benches  and  other 
monumental  and  exceedingly  formal  articles  of  furni- 
ture used  in  halls  and  also  the  marble  used  in  sculpture 
and  for  table  and  console  tops ;  the  costly  textures  for 
tapestries,  hangings  and  carpets;  and  an  almost  end- 
less list  of  silks,  velvets,  brocades,  satins,  brocatelles 
and  other  fabrics  used  for  upholstery  and  hangings. 

Among  the  woods  walnut  seems  always  to  have  re- 
tained its  ascendency,  although  mahogany  enjoyed  a 
vogue  by  no  means  inconsiderable.  In  addition  to  these 
we  find  a  frequent  recourse  to  sycamore,  rosewood, 
lemon  wood  and  a  long  list  of  other  woods  of  more  or 
less  rarity  which  were  in  demand  for  their  striking 
colour  or  beautiful  grain.  For  the  painted  furniture, 
cypress,  pine  and  similar  so-called  "meaner  woods" 
were  used,  although  it  is  by  no  means  an  uncommon 
thing  to  find  decorations  painted  over  a  ground  of  wal- 
nut or  mahogany. 

Among  the  textures  in  use,  apart  from  the  tapes- 
tries, probably  the  most  striking  and  the  most  indica- 
tive of  the  spirit  of  the  century  were  the  Aubusson  oar- 
pets,  while  the  fabrics  for  upholstery  from  the  looms 


94,  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

of  Genoa,  Milan  and  Venice  ranged  through  every  pos- 
sibility of  colour  and  pattern  which  one  could  imagine. 

In  the  matter  of  the  use  and  distribution  of  colour, 
it  is  to  be  noted  that  while  full,  rich  and  vivid  colouring 
was  in  favour  at  the  beginning  of  the  century,  a  taste 
for  lighter,  paler,  more  subdued  colours  and  less  vig- 
orous contrasts  became  apparent  as  the  century  pro- 
gressed, although  the  Italian  colour  taste,  even  at  its 
most  restrained  period,  cannot  be  said  to  have  been  at 
all  anaemic.  The  same  phenomenon  was  to  be  witnessed 
in  the  decoration  of  painted  furniture,  much  of  which 
at  an  early  date  exhibited  a  body  colour  of  vigorous 
tone,  while  the  later  pieces  almost  invariably  displayed 
a  ground  of  lighter  hue,  there  being  observable  a 
marked  preference  for  pale  greens,  lavender,  whitish 
yellow,  pale  blue  or  bluish  white  against  which  the 
designs  stood  out  in  strong  relief.  It  may  be  noted  also 
that  the  Venetians  showed  a  partiality  for  the  lighter 
toned  furniture,  while  painted  furniture  of  Eoman  or 
Tuscan  origin  often  showed  an  heavier  and  deeper 
ground  colour. 

Arrangement. — Considering  all  the  wealth  of  re- 
sources at  hand,  the  temptation  to  forsake  early  prin- 
ciples and  the  practice  of  restraint  can  at  least  be  un- 
derstood if  not  sympathised  with.  Though  over,dress- 
ing  was  not  an  invariable  fault  of  the  eighteenth 
century,  and  especially  late  eighteenth  century,  Italian 
rooms,  it  must  be  admitted  that  they  often  contained  an 
unfortunate  surplus  of  fitments  and  that  popular  taste 
too  often  seemed  to  revel  in  the  satisfactions  afforded 
by  individual  pieces  rather  than  in  the  qualities  of  the 
composition  as  an  whole.  The  foregoing  criticism  is 
not  to  be  taken  as  an  unqualified  condemnation  of  all 
the  methods  of  the  period  or  even  of  a  majority  of  the 


ITALY  95 

decorative  practice.  There  was  frequently  exhibited 
a  genuine  sense  of  restraint,  a  distinct  appreciation  of 
simplicity  and  a  due  reverence  for  symmetrical  ar- 
rangements and  there  were  many  admirable  examples 
of  good  taste  and  judgment  furnished,  but  it  is  unfor- 
tunately necessary  to  admit  that  the  eighteenth  cen- 
tury, despite  all  its  marvellous  excellence,  saw  the 
beginning  of  the  inclination  to  condone  tawdriness 
which  has  spoiled  so  many  really  admirable  Italian 
things  of  subsequent  date. 


CHAPTER  V 


INTERIOR  decoration  in  Spain  prior  to  the  eigh- 
teenth century  presents  a  curious  combination  of 
Moorish  characteristics,  on  the  one  hand,  and  of 
Renaissance  and  Baroque  features  on  the  other. 

In  considering  this  subject,  one  must  bear  in  mind 
the  peculiarly  conservative  character  of  the  Spanish 
people,  their  almost  religious  attachment  to  time-hon- 
oured usage  and  precedent,  and  their  fixed  aversion 
from  change,  especially  when  the  change  has  no 
stronger  sanction  than  the  mere  compliance  with  a 
newly-set  fashion. 

The  wherewithal  to  have  what  other  nations  of  the 
period  would  have  deemed  fully  furnished  and  even 
sumptuous  interiors  was  not  lacking.  The  inclination, 
however,  was  towards  a  paucity  of  movables.  For 
generations,  people  had  been  wont  to  sit  upon  cushions 
on  the  floor.  This  was  a  Moorish  custom,  to  be  sure, 
but  Moorish  customs  had  permeated  Christian  Spain 
and  Christians  held  to  the  custom  with  the  same  te- 
nacity as  the  Moors  themselves,  among  whom  the  usage 
had  more  or  less  religious  obligation. 

Therefore  chairs  and  seating  furniture  in  general 
were  not  so  commonly  used  as  in  other  places.  Conse- 
quently, there  was  one  factor  accounted  for  that  con- 
tributed to  the  comparative  austerity  and  bareness  of 
the  Spanish  interior.  It  was  a  matter  of  principle  with 
the  Moors  not  to  cumber  their  apartments  with  arti- 
cles they  did  not  definitely  need.  And  they  were  simple 

96 


SPAIN  97 

in  their  habits  and  did  not  need  much.  Here,  again, 
was  another  cause  for  the  characteristic  austerity  and 
restraint  of  the  Spanish  interior. 

Let  the  reader  not  imagine,  however,  that  a  six- 
teenth or  seventeenth  century  interior  in  Spain  lacked 
either  richness  or  interest.  Both  characteristics  were 
present  in  a  pronounced  degree.  Concentrated  enrich- 
ment, and  the  interest  attaching  thereto,  gathered 
intensity  by  contrast  with  an  austere  environment 
which  acted  as  a  foil. 

In  studying  Spanish  exterior  architecture  of  the 
early  Renaissance,  one  cannot  fail  to  be  deeply  im- 
pressed by  the  wonderfully  rich  effect  of  the  intricate, 
lace-like  carving  of  a  doorway  set  in  a  severely  plain 
wall  without  a  trace  of  other  decoration  to  break  its 
expanse.  Much  the  same  phenomenon  of  sharp  con- 
trast was  repeated  inside  the  houses  where  the  mar- 
vellous cabinets,  for  which  Spain  was  deservedly 
famous,  had  their  sumptuous  splendour  accented  by  the 
complete  absence  of  all  elements  that  could  in  any  way 
detract  from  their  preeminence.  The  eye  was  involun- 
tarily focussed  there  and  compelled  to  take  in  what  was 
presented  to  it. 

Another  factor  contributory  to  interest  and  enrich- 
ment was  the  frequent  use  of  expanses  of  gorgeously 
polychrome  tiling  (Plate  23  B),  at  times  almost  bar- 
baric in  its  bewildering  splendour  of  colour  and  pat- 
tern. This  heritage  of  Moorish  civilisation  was  in- 
corporated with  the  Renaissance  forms  that  prevailed 
in  the  sixteenth  century. 

Architectural  Background  and  Fixed  Decoration. — 
If  the  sixteenth  and  seventeenth  century  Spaniards 
had  not  the  frescoed  or  marble-encrusted  walls  of  the 
Italians  of  the  same  period,  nor  the  wood-panelled  walls 
of  the  French  and  English,  and  had  instead  plain  plas- 
7 


98  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

ter  walls  (Plates  23  A  and  24),  or  walls  relieved  for  a 
portion  of  their  height  by  multi-coloured  tiling  or  by 
dados  of  painted  canvas  or  cloth,  their  rooms,  never- 
theless, were  by  no  means  lacking  in  mural  interest. 

Love  of  strong  colour  and  of  vivid  contrast  and 
trenchant  design  is  deeply  implanted  in  the  Spanish 
disposition  and  this  chromatic  taste  was  amply  satis- 
fied by  the  variety  of  hangings  with  which  they  adorned 
the  walls  of  their  apartments  in  lieu  of  embellishment 
incorporated  in  the  actual  wall  structure.  No  nation, 
perhaps,  was  ever  more  addicted  to  the  profuse  dis- 
play of  wall  hangings. 

There  were,  to  begin  with,  tapestries,  for  tapestries 
were  the  common  possession  of  all  civilised  countries 
and  were  esteemed  alike  in  all.  There  were  "fine  Ital- 
ian hangings,"  which  meant  brocades,  damasks  and 
velvet,  the  last  named  of  which  materials,  when  hung 
as  a  wall  embellishment,  was  usually  enriched  with  em- 
broidery in  the  form  of  applique  medallions,  car- 
touches and  the  like,  with  an  appropriate  accompani- 
ment of  scrolls,  tendrils  and  arabesques  of  gold  thread 
or  gold  galons.  When  the  ground  was  a  rich  crimson 
or  a  full,  brilliant  green  velvet,  this  form  of  wall  dec- 
oration, often  enlivened  with  armorial  bearings  as  a 
part  of  the  applique  needlework,  was  both  dignified  and 
effective. 

There  were  painted  canvas  hangings  which  pre- 
sented both  vivid  colour  and  emphatic  design.  There 
were  painted  and  scalloped  canvas  friezes  or  scalloped 
velvet  frieze  hangings  rich  with  gold  braid  and  fringe. 
There  was— and  this  was  peculiarly  distinctive  of 
Spain,  although  the  fashion  afterwards  spread  to  other 
countries— the  gorgeous  stamped  and  engraved  leather, 
polychromed  and,  later  on,  polychromed  and  gilt.  The 
skins  were  either  sewed  together  to  make  hangings  or 


PLATE  23 


A.  SPANISH  RENAISSANCE  INTERIOR 
Plain  Plaster  Walls  with  Moulded  and  Panelled  Door  Trims.    Baroque  Influence  Showing  in 

Door  at  Left 
Courtesy  of  "  Vogue" 


B.  WALLS    PARTIALLY    ENCRUSTED    IN    SPANISH    MANNER    WITH    POLY- 
CHROME GLAZED  TILES  MADE  AT  TALAVERA  1600-1700 
Courtesy  of  Henry  Chapman  Mercer,  Esq.,  Font  Hill,  Doylestown,  Bucks,  Pennsylvania 


PLATE  24 


*g  I 

W  *  £ 

HS  ?• 


sl 


g' 


SPAIN  99 

else  the  pieces  of  leather  were  applied  directly  to-  the 
wall.  Add  to  these, ' '  India  fabrics, ' '  doubtless  brought 
in  from  Portugal,  "delicate  summer  hangings, "  Toledo 
cloths,  red  and  yellow  and  Eoman  linens,  and  it  becomes 
quite  plain  that  the  Spanish  interior,  although  it  might 
display  certain  evidences  of  austerity,  at  times,  and  a 
sparseness  of  movables  as  compared  with  the  fashions 
of  other  countries,  was  by  no  means  void  of  interest. 

In  the  seventeenth  century,  the  Italian  "domino" 
paper,  in  small  sections,  was  sometimes  applied  to  the 
walls,  as  it  was  also  in  Italy  and  France,  its  mottled  or 
marbleised  pattern  and  colouring  having  always  found 
favour  in  the  Iberian  peninsula. 

Fireplaces  showed  practically  the  same  lines  of 
structure  and  ornamentation  as  were  to  be  noted  in 
Italy  and  France  during  the  same  period,  there  being, 
of  course,  some  evidences  of  national  interpretation  in 
the  matter  of  details.  In  this  connexion  it  should  be 
noted  that  the  brasier  was  so  essential  an  item  of  equip- 
ment that  it  may  almost  be  regarded  as  a  part  of  the 
fixed  outfit.  The  brasier  was  generally  an  ornate  speci- 
men of  brass  craftsmanship,  chased,  engraved  and  em- 
bossed, supported  either  on  an  high  stand,  so  that  the 
hands  might  conveniently  be  warmed  at  its  rim,  or  on 
a  low  stand  where  feet  could  be  toasted.  The  stands 
were  of  wrought  iron  or  of  turned  and  carved  walnut. 

The  beams  of  the  ceilings  and  the  panels  of  doors 
Plate  23  A)  were  especially  favourite  objects  of  dec- 
orative enrichment  and  were  often  intricately  carved  or 
inlaid.  The  facility  for  working  in  small  panel  divi- 
sions, with  telling  decorative  effect,  was  an  accomplish- 
ment learned  from  the  Moors,  and  the  practice  was  re- 
tained and  elaborated  with  happy  results.  The  carving 
on  doors  and  on  ceiling  beams  was  not  seldom  enhanced 
by  the  application  of  colour  and  gilding  as  well.  The 


100  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

floors  were  of  tiles,  stone  and  wood.  During  the  seven- 
teenth century  some  gorgeously  coloured  hard  woods 
were  brought  from  the  Spanish  colonies  and  incorpo- 
rated in  the  parquetted  floorings. 

Wrought  ironwork,  in  the  form  of  grilles  for  win- 
dows and  openings  and  as  handrails,  frequently  added 
a  decorative  emphasis  of  strong  character.  The  design 
and  workmanship  of  these  bits  of  ironwork  were  ad- 
mirable. Colour  and  gilding  were  generally  added  to 
them. 

Furniture  and  Decoration. — The  two  most  signifi- 
cant and  characteristic  items  of  Spanish  Kenaissance 
furniture  were  the  chest  and  the  vargueno  cabinet 
(v.  illustration  in  Part  III).  There  were  chests  of  all 
varieties  and  shapes  and  contrived  for  all  purposes. 
There  were  no  less  than  seven  distinct  classifications 
into  which  they  could  be  divided.  Of  these,  the  bride's 
chest  was  deemed  an  absolutely  indispensable  piece  of 
household  equipment — very  much  like  a  marriage  cer- 
tificate, in  fact — whatever  other  chests  might  or  might 
not  be  represented  in  an  inventory  of  possessions. 

In  addition  to  the  chests,  which  usually  manifested 
conspicuous  marks  of  national  taste,  there  were  the 
vargueno  cabinets  and  the  papeleras,  both  of  which 
were  set  on  stands.  The  vargueno  cabinet  had  a  drop 
front,  hinged  at  the  bottom,  which  could  be  used  to 
write  upon,  and  the  inside  contained  tiers  of  small 
drawers.  It  Was,  in  a  word,  the  direct  ancestor  of  the 
later  drop  front  secretary.  The  inside  of  the  vargueno 
was  generally  a  splendid  blaze  of  bone  inlay,  brilliant 
colour  and  gold.  The  papelera  (Plate  140)  was  a  cab- 
inet of  small  drawers  but  had  no  drop  front.  It,  like- 
wise, was  often  decorated  in  a  gorgeous  and  colourful 
manner. 


SPAIN  101 

Besides  these,  there  were  hanging  cabinets  or  cup- 
boards, massive  walnut  tables  (Plate  24)  of  many  vari- 
eties, settles,  benches,  stools  and  chairs.  Some  of  the 
chests  were  covered  with  velvet  strained  tightly  over 
the  wood— bright  green  was  a  favourite  colour— with 
gilded  iron  mounts  and  ornamental  bands  or  studding. 

The  characteristic  contours  and  motifs  of  decora- 
tion indicated  the  gradual  transition  from  Renaissance, 
or  Renaissance  mingled  with  Moorish,  forms  to  Ba- 
roque conceptions.  The  dimensions  and  structure  of 
the  period  were  bold  and  substantial.  Walnut  was  the 
staple  and  favourite  material,  although  oak  and  chest- 
nut were  used  also  in  cabinetwork  and  occasionally  pine 
likewise. 

The  mounts  and  studdings,  both  of  brass  and  of 
wrought  iron,  gilt  or  plain,  were  especially  indicative 
of  sixteenth  and  seventeenth  century  Spanish  form 
conception  and  added  a  very  appreciable  share  to  the 
rich  and  striking  effect  of  the  interiors  of  the  period. 

Other  Decorative  Accessories  and  Movable  Dec- 
orations.— Tapestries  and  other  hangings  were  dis- 
cussed in  the  section  dealing  with  fixed  decoration 
because  their  function  was  permanent  rather  than 
otherwise.  It  is  only  necessary  to  add,  with  respect  to 
hangings,  that  canopies  of  green  or  crimson  velvet  or 
brocade,  fringed  with  gold,  often  played  a  conspicuous 
role  when  they  were  hung  over  seats  or  tables  of  state. 
Damask,  velvet  and  lace  for  table  covers,  embroideries, 
Cuenca  green  cloth,  Spanish  carpets  and  Turkey  car- 
pets, as  items  in  the  inventory  of  fabrics  afforded  con- 
siderable resources  of  vivid  colour. 

Large  pictures,  both  portraits  and  religious  paint- 
ings, occupied  a  prominent  place  in  decorative  schemes. 
Porcelains  came  in  through  Portuguese  trade  with  the 


102  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

Orient  and  were  highly  prized ;  maiolica  pottery  of  ad- 
mirable colour,  design  and  shape,  was  made  in  consid- 
erable quantity  in  Spain  as  well  as  the  glazed  tiles; 
glass  vessels  of  large  size  and  good  shape,  cut,  en- 
graved and  sometimes  gilded,  were  also  made  in  Spain 
and  had  distinct  decorative  value ;  finally,  the  Spanish 
smiths  were  unsurpassed  in  their  manipulation  of  brass 
and  iron,  from  which  they  fashioned  candlesticks,  can- 
delabra, sconces,  chandeliers  (Plate  24),  brasiers  and  a 
host  of  lesser  accessories  for  various  purposes,  all  of 
which,  in  both  metals,  were  wrought  with  a  fascinating 
invention. 

Materials  and  Colour. — The  texture  of  materials, 
their  contrast  with  their  structural  background,  and 
the  emphasis  of  their  colour,  were  such  essential  parts 
of  the  ensemble  in  the  composition  of  a  sixteenth  or 
seventeenth  century  Spanish  interior  that  one  can 
scarcely  dissociate  them  from  the  actual  architectural 
structure. 

The  velvets,  plain  and  figured,  the  brocades  and 
damasks,  and  the  linens,  imported  from  Italy  were  sup- 
plemented by  Oriental  fabrics  brought  by  Portuguese 
traders  from  India  and  China,  and  by  the  gay-coloured 
cloths  and  carpets  woven  at  Toledo,  Cuenca  or  Alcaroz. 

The  colours  were  vivid  and  rich  to  the  fullest  degree. 
This  applied  to  the  leathers  as  well  as  to  textiles.  As 
to  pattern,  it  should  be  noted  that  while  the  vigorous 
and  somewhat  large  figures,  so  generally  to  be  found 
in  Italy,  in  France  and  in  England,  and  which  were 
quite  consistent  in  scale  with  the  colouring  in  which 
they  were  interpreted,  were  also  approved  in  Spain, 
at  the  same  time,  the  Moorish  tradition  for  fine  inter- 
lacing pattern  and  compact  distribution  and  the  Indian 
tendency  toward  attenuation  with  a  certain  openness 


SPAIN  103 

of  design,  both  disposed  the  Spaniard  to  an  apprecia- 
tion of  refinement  as  well  as  vigour  in  pattern. 

Arrangement. — The  one  important  lesson  in  ar- 
rangement to  be  learned  from  Spanish  interiors  is  that 
their  restraint  in  the  number  of  objects  employed,  and 
the  consequent  necessity  of  wide  open  spaces  for  pieces 
to  stand  alone,  contributed  to  dignity  and  served  also 
to  enhance  the  decorative  balance  of  each  object  when 
there  was  nothing  to  detract  from  its  individual  effect. 


CHAPTER  VI 

INTERIOR  DECORATION  IN  SPAIN  DURING 
THE  EIGHTEENTH  CENTURY 

THE  eighteenth  century  so  far  as  Spanish  in- 
vention in  architecture  or  decorative  art  was 
concerned   was    a    singularly    barren    period. 
Spain  had  nothing  to  contribute  beyond  a  few  evidences 
of  national  interpretation  of  styles  she  had  borrowed, 
mainly  from  France,  but  to  some  extent  from  England 
and  Italy  also. 

It  is  scarcely  too  much  to  say  that  the  well  of  Span- 
ish invention,  which  had  contributed  so  handsomely  and 
so  generously  to  the  common  international  sum  of  dec- 
orative art  in  former  centuries,  was  now  pumped  dry 
and  that  a  period  of  creative  stagnation  followed.  The 
Rococo  and  Neo-Classic  phases  of  Spanish  decoration 
were  but  reflections  of  what  was  going  on  in  France,  in 
Italy  and  in  England. 

Style  development  simply  followed  the  procession 
and  added  only  a  few  local  touches  in  the  matter  of  un- 
important details.  In  the  east  of  Spain  and  in  the 
Balearic  Islands,  regions  most  in  contact  with  active 
trade  relations,  the  craftsmen  added  certain  delicate 
elaborations  to  patterns  that  came  from  other  sources, 
but,  considered  by  and  large,  Spain  had  nothing  new 
of  great  consequence  to  give. 

Architectural  Background  and  Fixed  Decoration. — 
Spanish  conservatism  held  on  to  precedents  that  had 
prevailed  in  former  centuries  and  the  architectural 
backgrounds,  influenced  by  this  tenacity  of  usage,  pre- 
sented much  the  same  features  as  mentioned  in  the 
previous  chapter.  Tastes  remained  the  same ;  the  mode 

104 


PLATE  25 


SPAIN  105 

of  expression  only  was  modified  to  meet  the  sway  of 
current  fashion. 

Plain  walls  (Plate  25)  with  their  applied  fabric  dec- 
orations or  hangings  continued.  The  love  of  vivid 
colour  was  unchanged  and  the  facility  for  compounding 
striking  contrasts,  without  falling  into  the  snare  of 
garishness,  was  little  abated.  Stamped  and  poly- 
chromed  leather  for  wall  embellishment  passed  out  of 
use  and  this  was  a  loss  to  be  deplored. 

Fireplaces  and  chimney-pieces  suffered  the  same 
subduing  process  they  underwent  in  other  countries. 
During  the  Rococo  period,  mirrors  as  a  factor  in  wall 
decoration  came  into  play  for  panelling  and  for  incor- 
poration as  overmantel  features. 

Doors  were  still  decorated  in  a  somewhat  distinc- 
tive manner  and  the  plastered  ceilings  were  painted  and 
gilt  without  the  same  success  of  restraint  as  similar 
decorations  usually  exhibited  in  France.  In  many  of 
these  exotic  features,  which  the  Spaniards  had  bor- 
rowed, they  showed  an  unfortunate  tendency  to  exag- 
geration. They  were  not  dealing  with  things  akin  to 
their  genius  and  they  made  frequent  mistakes  in 
consequence. 

The  flooring  materials  were  the  same  as  in  the  fore- 
going centuries,  except  that  the  various-coloured  woods 
from  the  Spanish  colonies  came  more  and  more  into  use 
and  that  wood  was  preferred  to  the  sterner  materials 
for  flooring  purposes. 

Furniture  and  Decorations. — Practically  every 
phase  of  furniture  known  in  England,  France  or  Italy 
during  the  eighteenth  century  was  represented  by  an 
analogous  Spanish  type  (Plate  25  and  illustrations  in 
Part  III).  The  items  in  use  and  the  amount  of  equip- 
ment employed  virtually  corresponded  to  what  would 


106  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

be  found  in  any  well-appointed  establishment  in  other 
countries. 

The  general  design  of  the  individual  pieces  of  fur- 
niture was  the  same  as  elsewhere,  but  there  was  a 
distinct  tendency  to  enlarge  the  proportions  and  make 
the  structure  heavier  and  even,  at  times,  a  bit  stodgy. 
Bulk,  therefore,  did  create  a  minor  point  of  difference. 

Also,  the  fashion  happily  persisted '  of  covering 
chests  and  other  similar  receptacles  with  strained  fab- 
ric and  using  thereon  somewhat  ample  and  elaborated 
mounts.  The  elaboration  and  diversity  of  mounts, 
however,  never  equalled  the  mark  set  by  Spanish  cab- 
inet-makers of  the  sixteenth  and  seventeenth  centuries 
nor  the  performance  of  contemporary  French  de- 
signers. 

Other  Decorative  Accessories  and  Movable  Dec- 
orations.— An  inventory  of  these  items  would  tally 
almost  precisely  with  the  items  of  a  similar  inventory 
prepared  in  France,  England  or  Italy,  and  as  most  of 
the  articles  of  vertu  were  now  imported,  or  if  made  by 
native  craftsmen,  were  copied  from  foreign  models, 
there  is  little  that  was  distinctive  to  point  to,  with  a 
few  trifling  exceptions,  such  as  the  Bilboa  mirrors  with 
the  marbleised  gesso  frames. 

Materials  and  Colours. — Precisely  similar  condi- 
tions of  decorative  stagnation  obtained  with  reference 
to  materials  and  colours,  except  that  Spanish  colonial 
possessions  supplied  the  mother  country  with  some 
exceptionally  fine  decorative  woods,  which  the  cabinet- 
makers fortunately  availed  themselves  of  now  and 
again. 

As  to  all  else,  the  Spanish  taste  of  the  time  is  to  be 
gauged  merely  by  what  it  selected;  and  as,  in  many 
cases,  the  Spaniard  was  working  with  materials  and 
colours  not  germane  to  his  peculiar  national  genius,  he 


SPAIN  107 

often  failed  to  make  the  happiest  choice  or  effect  the 
most  felicitous  combinations. 

Arrangement. — Spanish  decoration  of  the  earlier 
period  was  distinguished  for  its  wholesome  reticence 
in  the  number  of  articles  used  and  by  the  really  stra- 
tegic manner  in  which  they  were  disposed  to  compass 
the  greatest  effect. 

Eighteenth  century  ideals  of  arrangement,  being 
borrowed  along  with  all  the  material  properties,  failed 
to  exhibit  that  erstwhile  happy  trait  and  Spanish 
rooms  unfortunately  often  fell  into  an  unedifying  con- 
dition of  tawdry  formality. 


CHAPTER  VII 


/NTRODUCTION.—The  story  of  interior  decora- 
tion in  France  prior  to  the  eighteenth  century 
begins  with  a  phase  in  which  the  body  was  Gothic 
and  the  clothes  Renaissance ;  it  ends  with  the  full  de- 
velopment of  Baroque  grandiosity  and  elaboration  in 
what  was  known  as  the  " Grand  Manner"  under  the 
lavish  patronage  and  control  of  Louis  XIV,  who  evinced 
an  extraordinary  interest  in  decoration  and  regarded 
decorative  pomp  and  magnificence  as  indispensable 
adjuncts  of  his  court. 

The  military  farings  of  Charles  VIII  into  Italy,  at 
the  end  of  the  fifteenth  century,  opened  the  door  to  a 
great  influx  of  Italian  Renaissance  influences  into 
France  and  fostered  an  appetite  for  the  refinements  of 
Classicism  in  decoration  and  architecture,  a  vivid  recol- 
lection of  which  the  returning  expeditionaries  brought 
back  with  them.  The  motives  of  the  expedition  were 
military;  the  chief  results  were  cultural.  Further  ex- 
peditions into  Italy  on  the  part  of  the  French  kings  who 
succeeded  Charles  had  the  same  outcome.  Kings, 
nobles,  and  soldiery  alike  had  gazed  upon  the  fruits  of 
the  Italian  Renaissance  only  to  become  enamoured  of 
them  and  imbued  with  a  determination  to  emulate  them 
in  their  own  land  and  for  their  own  behoof. 

Besides  the  returning  nobles  and  soldiery,  other 
important  factors  that  served  to  spread  the  Renais- 
sance influence  in  France  were  the  missions  and  em- 
bassies to  Italian  courts,  Italian  missions  to  the  French 

108 


FRANCE  109 

court,  and  a  growing-  influx  of  Italian  bankers  and  mer- 
chants who  brought  in  their  train  sundry  articles  of 
" goldsmiths'  work,  medals  and  cameos,  books,  pic- 
tures, furniture  and  intarsias,  casts  and  bronze  work, 
terra-cottas  and  maiolica,"  all  of  which  "  helped  to  ac- 
custom French  eyes  to  Renaissance  forms."  The  sin- 
cere admiration  of  French  travellers  and  ambassadors 
for  what  they  saw  in  Italy  is  typically  voiced  in  the 
words  of  Philippe  de  Comines  wrho,  in  1495,  conducted 
a  mission  to  Venice  which  he  described  as  "the  most 
triumphant  citie  that  ever  I  sawe"  and  enthusiasti- 
cally wrote  of  the  Grand  Canal,  "Sure  in  my  opinion, 
it  is  the  goodliest  streete  in  the  world  and  the  best 
built." 

But  even  more  important  than  the  agencies  just 
mentioned,  in  completing  Italy's  peaceful  conquest  of 
France,  were  the  lessons  French  artists  learnt  in  Italy 
and  the  things  that  Italian  artists  and  artificers  taught 
in  France.  During  the  fifteenth  century  there  were 
comparatively  few  Italians  in  France;  "but  from  its 
closing  years  onwards  a  continuous  stream  of  archi- 
tects and  engineers,  decorators  and  all  manner  of  artifi- 
cers poured  across  the  Alps,  beginning  with  Charles 
VIII 's  colonies  at  Amboise  and  Tours,  and  continued 
by  that  of  Francis  I  at  Paris  and  Fontainebleau. " 

Generous  royal  patronage  and,  to  some  extent,  the 
patronage  of  great  and  wealthy  nobles  played  a  sig- 
nificant part  in  the  Renaissance  development  of  the 
decorative  arts  in  France.  The  colonies  of  Italian  artifi- 
cers established  and  maintained  by  Charles  VIII  and 
Francis  I  were  only  the  first  instances  of  this  royal 
interest  and  support.  Throughout  the  sixteenth  and 
seventeenth  centuries  the  crown,  either  directly  or 
else  indirectly  through  its  ministers,  gave  substantial 
encouragement  to  decorative  progress.  This  whole 


110  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

architectural  and  decorative  development  in  France 
•during  the  sixteenth  and  seventeenth  centuries  may 
be  divided  into  five  phases  of  style.  The  dates  are  to 
some  degree  approximate  as  there  were  necessarily 
overlappings  and  survivals. 

The  Style  Louis  XII,  1495-1515  (Charles  VIII, 
1483-1498 ;  Louis  XII,  1498-1515 ;  contemporary  rulers 
in  England,  Henry  VII  and  Henry  VIII)  embraced  the 
beginnings  of  Italian  Eenaissance  influence — the  deck- 
ing of  the  Gothic  body  in  Eenaissance  clothes — and 
marked  the  incorporation  of  a  few  of  the  delicate  char- 
acteristics of  the  Tuscan  school,  a  school  marked  by  a 
'  *  certain  austerity  .  .  .  and  a  rather  minute  type  of 
ornament,  evolved  by  a  race  of  architects  of  goldsmith 
training."  The  Style  Louis  XII  was  only  a  prelim- 
inary phase,  a  feeling  of  the  way. 

The  second  phase  is  known  as  the  Style  of  Francis 
I,  1515-1545  (Francis  I,  1515-1547:  Henry  VIII  con- 
temporary ruler  in  England)  marked  the  complete 
fusion  (Plate  26)  of  the  native  French  elements  and 
the  Lombard  Eenaissance  forms,  the  latter  represent- 
ing a  style  of  eminent " charm  and  delicacy"  exuberant 
with  the  devising  of  new  features  and  impressive  both 
from  its  wealth  of  ornament  and  the  "beauty  of  its 
detail." 

The  Style  Henry  II,  1530-1590,  the  third  stage  of 
development  (Henri  II,  1547-1559;  Francis  II,  1559- 
1560;  Charles  IX,  1560-1574;  Henri  III,  1574-1589; 
Henry  VIII,  Edward  VI,  Mary,  and  Elizabeth,  contem- 
porary rulers  in  England),  which  followed  in  close  suc- 
cession, saw  the  assimilation  of  the  Eoman  phase  of  the 
Eenaissance,  that  phase  which  took  shape  in  Eome  dur- 
ing the  last  quarter  of  the  fifteenth  century  and  con- 
tinued dominant  during  the  first  quarter  of  the  six- 
teenth. The  mature  Eoman  phase,  inspired  by  a  more 


FRANCE  111 

systematic  study  of  ancient  monuments,  and  "  pruned 
of  earlier  exuberances,"  "became  bolder,  surer,  more 
balanced  in  its  composition,  gaining  in  calm  monumen- 
tality  and  masculine  strength  what  it  lost  in  youthful 
vitality  and  variety  of  decorative  motives.'* 

The  three  foregoing  phases  belong  wholly  and 
purely  to  the  Renaissance  in  all  their  characteristics 
of  style  except  in  so  far  as  chance  Gothic  traits  sur- 
vived here  and  there.  Of  the  two  that  follow,  the  for- 
mer embodied  the  beginnings  of  Baroque  influence  and 
its  commingling  with  the  ripe  Renaissance  concep- 
tions ;  the  latter  comprised  the  full  fruition  of  the  Ba- 
roque mode  and  its  complete  ascendancy  over  the  purer 
and  more  restrained  forms  of  Renaissance  provenance. 

The  Style  Henri  IV  and  Louis  XIII,  1590-1660 
(Henri  IV,  1589-1610;  Louis  XIII,  1610-1643:  Eliza- 
beth, James  I,  and  Charles  I,  contemporary  rulers  in 
England)  was  a  phase  of  fusion  when  curvilinear  forms 
and  bolder,  heavier  detail  began  gradually  to  make 
their  progress  into  popular  favour. 

The  Style  Louis  XIV,  1640-1710  (Louis  XIII,  1610- 
1643 ;  Louis  XIV,  1643-1715 :  Charles  II,  James  II,  Wil- 
liam and  Mary,  and  Queen  Anne,  contemporary  rulers 
in  England)  marked  the  apotheosis  of  ponderous  curves 
and  scrolls,  singly  and  in  combination,  of  pomposity, 
redundance,  oftentimes  heaviness  of  detail  and  all  that 
conceptions  of  superabundant  splendour  could  devise 
to  create  the  "Grand  Manner."  What  was  naturally 
imposing,  the  exponents  of  Baroque  essayed  to  make 
more  so  and  did  not  hesitate  to  create  structure  for  the 
sole  purpose  of  carrying  their  massive  decorations 
which  were,  it  is  true,  mightily  imposing  but  could 
scarcely  be  called  logical.  The  exaggerations  of  this 
period  belong  to  the  earlier  portion  (1610-1650). 
Directly  the  influence  of  Louis  XIV  began  to  make  itself 


112  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

felt  there  was  far  more  restraint  and  the  style  was  per- 
ceptibly tempered  by  an  infusion  of  Classicism  and  a 
more  studied  sobriety  in  composition. 

During  all  this  period  of  five  phases  there  was  a 
steady  and  rapid  development  in  the  technical  mas- 
tery of  decorative  processes  and  resources  which  com- 
bined to  make  the  sixteenth  and  seventeenth  centuries 
in  French  decorative  art  one  of  the  most  resplendent 
epochs  in  history. 

Architectural  Background  and  Methods  of  Fixed 
Decoration. — Throughout  the  sixteenth  and  seven- 
teenth centuries  the  rooms  of  French  chateaux  and 
houses  were  commonly  of  large  size.  Indeed,  they  were 
often  oppressively  so,  especially  in  the  formal  and 
grandiose  days  of  Louis  XIV.  As  was  natural,  and  in 
fact  necessary  under  the  circumstances,  the  fixed  or 
architectural  background  formed  a  vitally  important 
part  of  the  composition.  The  ceilings  were  lofty. 

Style  Louis  XII. — In  the  interiors  of  the  Style 
Louis  XII  the  embrasured  windows  were  of  good  size, 
had  either  square  heads  or  very  flat  elliptical  arches, 
and  were  usually  two  lights  wide,  divided  in  the  centre 
by  a  substantial  vertical  stone  mullion,  intersected  by 
one  or  more  transverse  mullions  or  transomes.  The 
casements  were  of  metal.  In  the  less  important  rooms 
oiled  linen  or  oiled  paper  were  used ;  in  the  better  rooms 
the  casements  were  glazed  with  roundels  or  with  small 
quarries  set  in  lead.  Inside  shutters  were  used  and, 
in  some  cases,  the  lower  lights  had  also  perforated  out- 
side shutters.  Door  heads,  like  window  heads,  were 
square  or  had  flat  elliptical  arches. 

Walls  were  sometimes  panelled,  either  wholly  or  in 
part,  with  small  panels,  but  were  more  commonly  of 
stone  or  plaster,  which  might  be  painted  or  frescoed, 
but  they  were  more  frequently  relieved  by  hangings 


FRANCE  113 

of  painted  cloth  or  canvas  or  by  tapestries  and  em- 
broideries. Complete  schemes  of  permanent  decora- 
tion were  rather  exceptions  than  otherwise  but  gradu- 
ally came  more  and  more  into  vogue  under  spreading 
Italian  influence.  The  motifs  used  in  the  panelling, 
medallions  and  other  carved,  sculptured  or  moulded 
features  of  door  and  window  trim  or  wall  decoration 
were  a  medley  of  Gothic  and  Renaissance  details. 

Fireplaces,  with  their  surmounting  chimney-pieces, 
afforded  an  opportunity  for  rich  and  imposing  struc- 
ture and  a  wealth  of  carved  detail.  Some  of  the  struc- 
tures left  the  fire  largely  exposed  at  the  sides,  the  hood 
receding  upwards  from  a  bold  vertical  mantel  whose 
weight  was  carried  on  half -piers  or  corbels ;  other  over- 
mantel structures  consisted  of  an  elaborate  pilastered 
and  panelled  architectural  composition  carried  up  ver- 
tically part  or  all  of  the  way  to  the  ceiling  and  resting 
on  a  vigorous  vertical  mantel  which,  in  turn,  was  sup- 
ported on  a  pillared  substructure  that  left  only  the 
front  of  the  fireplace  open. 

Ceilings  were  either  vaulted,  with  a  more  or  less 
complicated  system  of  ribbing,  or  else  of  wooden  con- 
struction with  the  timbers,  as  a  rule,  exposed  to  view. 
At  times  the  timbers  were  concealed  by  temporary 
cloth  or  tapestry  testers  attached  by  hooks.  In  other 
cases,  the  ceiling  timbers  were  boarded  in  the  manner 
of  a  barrel  vault  with  wooden  rib  divisions.  Panelled 
wood  ceilings,  with  square,  hexagon  or  octagon-shaped 
panels,  affixed  to  the  under  side  of  joists  gradually  ap- 
peared as  a  result  of  Italian  influence  and  were  fre- 
quently enriched  with  colour  and  gilding. 

Flooring  consisted  of  stone  slabs,  of  bricks,  of  en- 
caustic tiles  and  also,  as  a  direct  outcome  of  Italian 
teaching,  of  maiolica  tiles  and  of  parquetted  wood. 

Style  Francis  I. — The  most  numerous  type  of  win- 
8 


114  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

dow  in  the  Francis  I  style  was  square-headed.  An  oc- 
casional variation  was  the  rounding  of  the  shoulders. 
This  detail,  however,  chiefly  appeared  outside  and  did 
not  affect  the  interior  aspect.  Besides  these,  there  were 
also  in  lesser  number  round-arched  windows  and  win- 
dows with  flat  elliptical-arched  tops.  The  windows 
were  generally  large,  two  lights  wide,  and  divided  ver- 
tically by  a  mullion  which  was  crossed  by  a  transverse 
mullion  or  transome,  nearer  the  top  than  the  bottom, 
thus  forming  a  cross,  hence  the  name  fenetre  croisee. 
There  were  also  smaller  windows  without  mullions, 
square-headed,  and  filled  by  two  full-length  casements. 
Besides  the  leaded  quarries  or  roundels  in  the  metal 
casements,  stained-glass  cartoons  were  occasionally 
introduced.  Door  heads  corresponded  in  shape  to  win- 
dow heads  and  above  the  door  heads  carved  or  sculp- 
tured decoration  was  often  added. 

As  in  the  preceding  style,  walls  were  panelled 
wholly  or  in  part  (Plate  26),  stone-faced,  or  plastered. 
At  times  the  plaster  surface  above  the  panelled  wain- 
scot was  embellished  by  reliefs  in  stucco-duro  (Plates 
26  and  27).  Paint  and  fresco  adornment,  as  previously, 
were  sometimes  employed,  but  complete  permanent 
decorations  were  still,  for  the  most  part,  to  be  found 
only  in  the  houses  of  the  very  great  and  very  wealthy 
and  it  remained  a  common  practice  to  deck  compara- 
tively austere  walls  with  tapestries  or  with  painted 
cloth  and  canvas  hangings  that  could  be  taken  down  at 
will  and  moved  elsewhere.  The  chief  features  of  the 
rooms,  however — fireplaces,  overdoors  and  the  like — 
were  accorded  rich  permanent  treatment. 

The  panels  for  wainscotted  walls  and  for  other  in- 
terior woodwork  were  generally  small  (Plate  27)  and 
very  frequently  square  in  shape,  defined  by  mouldings 
of  low  profile,  in  a  manner  strongly  reminiscent  of 


PLATE  26 


WOODWORK    AND   PLASTERWORK,    GALLERY,    FONTAINEBLEAU. 

FRANCIS  I 

From  "Le  Palais  de  Fontainebleau,"  A.  Gu6rinet 
Courtesy  of  William  Helburn,  Inc. 


STYLE 


PLATE  27 


PLATE  28 


- 

S  g.  *j 

3   2.  ° 

ill 


. 

_    •  to 
o  C  f 


2.   S 


PLATE  29 


FRANCE  115 

North  Italian  Renaissance  panelling  of  an  earlier  date. 
The  motifs  with  which  the  panels  were  often  enriched, 
as  well  as  other  decorated  woodwork  and  interior  stone 
carving,  included  arabesques,  paterae,  monograms 
(Plate  27),  initials,  emblems,  mottoes  on  ribbon  scrolls, 
cockleshells,  ox  skulls,  plant  forms  and  human  and 
animal  forms  and  heads.  Gothic  details  had  quite  dis- 
appeared. All  of  these  just  mentioned,  and  others  of 
similar  nature,  appeared  more  especially  in  chimney- 
piece  carvings  and  in  door  trims  and  overdoor  enrich- 
ments, where  also  one  might  find  divers  classic  orders, 
of  different  scale,  brought  into  the  same  composition 
without  reference  to  classic  precedent;  capitals  com- 
bining cornucopias,  fanciful  volutes  and  heads;  and 
panelled  pilasters  enriched  with  arabesques,  interlacing 
scrolls  or  strapwork,  or  with  circles  and  lozenges,  the 
former  and  latter  of  which  were  especially  character- 
istic of  Francis  I  decoration.  The  relief  of  all  carved 
(Plate  26)  ornament  was  almost  invariably  low  and 
restrained,  and  the  detail  exceptionally  refined. 

Fireplaces  were  quite  generally  surmounted  with 
a  distinctly  architectural  chimney-piece  composition 
carried  up  vertically  to  the  ceiling.  The  chimney-piece 
of  sculptured  stone  or  carven  wood  displayed  niches, 
canopies,  pilasters,  panelling  and  sculptured  devices 
in  impressive  array  above  a  suitable  corresponding 
mantel  carried  on  piers,  corbels  or  caryatides. 

Vaulted  and  stone  slab  ceilings  were  used  in  places 
that  readily  admitted  their  construction,  but  ceilings 
with  exposed  timbers  and  panelled  ceilings  were  stead- 
ily becoming  more  and  more  the  rule.  The  beamed  and 
panelled  wood  ceilings  were  often  divided  up  into  small 
panels  (Plate  27)  and  enriched  with  delicate  carving 
or  with  colour  and  gold. 

Stone,  marble  and  encaustic  tile  floorings  continued 


116  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

in  use,  but  parquetted  wood  floors  (Plate  27)  were  win- 
ning wider  and  wider  favour  as  were  also  the  floors  of 
Italian  enamelled  or  maiolica  tiles  in  bright  colours 
or  with  divers  subjects  in  colour  on  a  white  ground. 

Style  Henri  II. — The  Style  Henri  II  marks  the  very 
height  and  flower  of  the  French  Renaissance,  the  climax 
to  which  all  previous  development  was  only  prepara- 
tory. It  is  logical  and  straightforward  in  all  its  char- 
acteristics and  its  creations  carry  a  sense  of  satisfaction 
and  conviction  unequalled  by  the  work  that  preceded 
or  followed.  The  composition  of  a  room  in  this  style 
possessed  unity  of  conception  and  did  not  represent 
merely  a  more  or  less  unrelated  group  of  fixed  dec- 
orative items. 

Windows  to  a  great  extent  retained  their  mullioned 
and  transomed  divisions  and  their  two-light  width,  al- 
though mullions  and  transomes  were  not  invariable, 
and  square-headed  windows  without  them  and  with  two 
full-length  casements  were  not  uncommon.  Round- 
arched  windows  also  occurred  to  some  extent.  Panelled 
inside  shutters  were  used.  Door  heads  were  of 
corresponding  shape  to  window  heads  and  over- 
door  decoration  often  took  the  form  of  a  pediment, 
either  rectilinear  or  arc-shaped,  with  appropriate 
accompaniments. 

While  movable  hangings,  such  as  those  mentioned 
in  the  review  of  the  preceding  styles,  continued  to  some 
extent  in  use,  permanent  complete  decorations  (Plate 
28)  were  much  more  common.  Walls  were  often  pan- 
elled, either  wholly  or  in  part,  and  the  panelling,  which 
tended  to  become  larger  and  more  diversified  (Plate 
28)  in  the  shapes  of  its  divisions,  was  not  infrequently 
embellished  with  carving  and  gilding  and  sometimes 
also  "with  marqueterie  of  coloured  woods,  and  inlays 
of  ivory,  ebony,  precious  metals  and  even  of  marble.*' 


FRANCE  117 

Oftentimes  walls  that  had  an  high-panelled  dado  (Plate 
28)  were  of  decorated  and  moulded  plaster  above,  with 
colour  and  gilding  applied  to  the  plaster  relief,  or  else 
there  were  frescoes  (Plate  28)  framed  in  moulded  plas- 
ter cartouches  with  all  their  attendant  scroll  embel- 
lishments. Again,  whole  wall  surfaces  were  frescoed, 
or  were  hung  with  tapestries  or  decorated  leather  hang- 
ings which  were  framed  in  with  stucco  or  plaster 
frames  wrought  in  high  relief  and  embellished  with 
scrolls,  strapwork  and  figures  in  the  round.  "Wall  cov- 
erings were  also  made  from  embossed  and  stamped 
leather  decorated  in  the  Spanish  manner,  polychromed 
and  gilt  in  repeat  patterns,  and  affixed  to  the  wall.  A 
much  less  pretentious  wall  covering,  but  one  neverthe- 
less capable  of  agreeable  decorative  effect  when  wisely 
used,  was  the  Italian  motley  marbleised  paper  made  in 
small  squares  and  applied  to  the  walls.  This  paper, 
similar  in  pattern  to  that  used  for  book  covers,  was 
called  ' '  domino '  '  paper  and  was  made  in  Italy  from  the 
fifteenth  century  on. 

The  motifs  employed  for  the  sundry  wall  decora- 
tions— this  includes  likewise  the  adornments  of  the 
chimney-pieces  and  door  trims — showed,  for  one  thing, 
an  increased  use  of  the  orders  (Plate  28)  in  a  systema- 
tised  and  consistent  arrangement  with  due  recognition 
of  their  proportions  and  parts.  The  combinations  of 
members  and  forms  were  somewhat  more  restricted  in 
variety  than  previously  by  a  more  conscientious  atten- 
tion to  classic  rules.  Capitals,  for  instance,  adhered 
more  nearly  to  traditional  types  (Plate  28)  and  the 
variations  from  precedent  were  chiefly  in  minor  mat- 
ters such  as  the  incorporation  of  monograms,  sprays  of 
foliage  and  the  like.  Bay,  olive,  myrtle,  oak,  acanthus 
and  palm  were  the  usual  sorts  of  foliage.  It  was  very 
significant  and  characteristic  that  pilasters  were  fluted, 


118  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

or  now  and  then  wreathed,  instead  of  being  panelled 
and  adorned  with  arabesques  or  with  circles  and  loz- 
enges, a  treatment  thoroughly  indicative  of  the  Francis 
I  style.  Strapwork,  scrolls,  interlacings,  frets  and 
running  borders  were  among  the  "  properties "  in 
evidence. 

While  the  profiles  of  mouldings  and  the  cutting  of 
all  enrichments  were  cleanly  and  incisively  wrought 
with  extreme  delicacy,  a  larger  scale  in  general  was 
adopted,  patterns  were  less  complex  and  "in  the  treat- 
ment of  doors,  shutters,  panelling,  and  indeed  all  feat- 
ures, larger  and  bolder  patterns  were  preferred,  with 
a  tendency  to  make  of  each  a  single,  centralised  design 
with  one  dominant  feature,  while  the  characteristic  of 
the  best  rooms  is  the  manner  in  which  all  the  features 
were  combined  into  a  consistent  whole."  In  other 
words,  whereas  the  earlier  styles  had  been  largely 
methods  of  enriched  decoration  of  spaces  with  small 
enrichments,  the  style  of  Henry  II  was  far  more  archi- 
tectural in  its  feeling  and  in  its  well-rounded  scheme 
of  composition. 

The  general  contour  and  structure  of  the  chimney- 
piece,  which  still  continued  the  most  significant  single 
feature  (Plate  28)  in  the  room,  remained  substantially 
the  same  as  previously.  The  only  notable  differences 
were  that  its  composition  was  more  closely  governed 
by  classic  precedent  and  that  it  was  not  seldom  exe- 
cuted in  coloured  marbles  as  well  as  in  the  stone  or 
wood  of  former  times. 

Plaster  ceilings  had  now  come  into  high  favour  and 
were  wrought  with  all  the  mastery  of  design  and  deli- 
cacy of  finish  of  which  the  best  Italian  and  Italian- 
taught  French  plasterers  were  capable.  To  the  rare 
artistry  of  pattern  and  modelling  these  ceilings  added 
the  living  glory  of  colour  and  gold  in  brilliant  and  glow- 


FRANCE  lid 

ing  schemes.  In  addition  to  flat  and  coffered  plaster 
ceilings,  there  were  simple  and  intersecting  barrel 
vaults  and  domes.  The  wooden  ceilings  also  glowed 
with  rich  colour  and  gold  and  were  beamed  and  pan- 
elled or  coffered  in  hexagons,  octagons  and  the  like. 
Oftentimes  the  beams  were  encased  in  panelling.  Oc- 
casionally the  wooden  ceilings  were  inlaid  instead  of 
being  painted  and  gilt. 

While  the  formerly  mentioned  flooring  materials 
were  still  employed,  carefully  laid  wooden  floors,  en- 
riched with  parquetting,  were  more  than  ever  in  high 
esteem.  Likewise,  glazed  polychrome  tiles,  now  made 
in  France  after  the  inspiration  of  the  Italian  maiolica 
tiles,  played  an  important  part  as  flooring  materials. 

Style  Henri  IV  and  Louis  XIII. — In  this  style  of 
decoration  Baroque  influences,  and  especially  Flemish 
Baroque  influences,  began  to  make  themselves  jnore 
and  more  conspicuous.  The  crisp  delicacy  and  restraint 
of  the  Style  Henri  II  were  supplanted  by  a  more  bul- 
bous, obtuse  and  ponderous  conception  of  line  and 
design. 

Windows  under  Henri  IV  grew  larger  and  longer 
but,  generally  speaking,  kept  their  stone  mullions  and 
transomes,  making  the  divisions  previously  noted. 
The  openings  were  commonly  square-headed  but  were 
occasionally  varied  by  round-arched  heads.  The  two- 
light  width  remained  unchanged.  Later  in  the  period, 
under  Louis  XIII,  many  windows  were  further  in- 
creased in  size,  so  that  they  extended  nearly  all  the  way 
from  floor  to  ceiling.  About  the  same  time,  also,  stone 
mullions  and  transomes  began  to  fall  into  disuse,  being 
replaced  by  wooden  substitutes  or  by  wooden  casement 
frames  with  broad  stiles  and  rails.  Door  heads,  as 
usual,  followed  the  fashion  of  window  openings. 

Save  in  the  most  sumptuous  rooms,  the  bare  plaster 


120  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

of  the  walls  was  exposed,  thus  leaving  a  broad  expanse 
to  be  decorated  with  frescoes  or  treated  with  "domino" 
paper  as  indicated  in  the  previous  style.  While,  of 
course,  tapestries  were  plentifully  used,  they  no  longer 
formed  an  inseparable  adjunct  to  the  general  scheme  as 
indicated  by  the  earlier  plaster  or  stucco  mouldings, 
especially  contrived  to  frame  them.  A  low-panelled 
dado  or  wainscot,  with  small  divisions  (Plate  31 B), 
was  often  used  and  embellished  with  painted  decora- 
tions of  landscapes,  flowers,  foliage  and  the  like. 

The  prevailing  motifs  for  mural  decoration — in 
which  may  also  be  reckoned  the  carved  wood,  stone  or 
modelled  plaster  adornments  for  chimney-pieces  (Plates 
29  and  SOB)  and  overdoor  enrichments  (Plate  30  A), 
where  they  were  especially  prominent,  included  the 
"cartouche"  form  (Plate  30  A),  one  of  the  most  ubiq- 
uitous and  important — with  its  surrounding  "scrol- 
liage"  pierced  and  slashed,  and  pulpy  strapwork, 
heaving  convex  cabochons,  masques,  pudgy  cherubs, 
which  one  wit  has  humourously  dubbed  "pukids," 
volutes,  conucopiae,  ovoid  bulging  shields,  massive 
draperies,  scrolls,  rectilinear  pediments,  arc-shaped 
pediments  (Plate  30  A),  and  both  kinds  of  pediments 
interrupted,  scrolled  pediments,  and  several  kinds  of 
pediments  combined  in  a  redundant  medley,  swags  and 
drops  of  foliage  and  flowers,  palm  branches,  laurel 
leaves,  human  figures,  caryatides,  quadrangular  term- 
shaped  pedestals  or  pilasters  tapered  toward  the  base, 
along  with  the  various  other  characteristic  Baroque 
"properties"  which  found  an  analogue  to  their  thick, 
pulpy  gobbiness  in  the  contemporary  big-scale,  fat 
women  painted  by  Rubens.  The  same  conception  of 
the  properties  of  line  was  back  of  both.  Mouldings,  as 
contrasted  with  their  sharp  crispness  and  incisive  deli- 
cacy in  the  Henri  II  style,  now  appeared  obtuse  and 


A.  VESTIBULE  D'HONNEUR,  FONTAINEBLEAU.    STYLE  LOUIS  XIII 

(EXTREME  BAROQUE) 

From  "Le  Palais  de  Fontainebleau,"  A.  Gue'rinet 
Courtesy  of  William  Helburn,  Inc. 


B.  SALLE   DBS   GARDES,   FOXTAIXEBLEAU.     STYLE  LOUIS  XIII.     (TRANSITION 

FROM  HENRI  II) 

From  "Le  Palais  de  Fontainebleau,"  A.  Guerinet 
Courtesy  of  William  Helburn,  Inc. 


A.  SALON.  MARIE.  DE  MEDECIS,  LUXEMBOURG  PALACE.    STYLE  LOUIS  XIII 

From  "Le  Palais  du  Luxembourg,"  A.  Gu6rinet 

Courtesy  of  William  Helburn,  Inc. 


B   SALON,  FONTAINEBLEAU.    STYLE  LOUIS  XIII 

From  "L«  Palais  de  Fontainebleu,"  A.  Gue'rinet 

Courtesy  of  William  Helburn,  Inc. 


PLATE  32 


PLATE  33 


FRANCE  121 

blunted  (Plates  29  and  30  A)  as  well  as  rotund  and 
massive.  And  yet,  notwithstanding  the  tumid  pom- 
posity and  exaggerated  emphasis  of  the  Baroque  style, 
its  often  grotesque  conception  and  lack  of  refinement, 
we  must  concede  that  it  could  be  both  imposing  and 
distinguished  and,  when  discreetly  managed,  was  not 
without  a  certain  agreeable  quality  of  charm.  It  should 
be  added  that  in  France  the  tendency  to  extravagance 
of  expression  was  generally  kept  within  bounds,  thanks 
to  the  national  trait  of  moderation. 

Although  the  fireplace  openings  began  to  be  ap- 
preciably reduced  in  size  (Plates  29, 30  B  and  31  A),  the 
chimney-piece  superstructure  extending  to  the  ceiling 
lost  none  of  its  pristine  importance  and  was  duly  em- 
bellished with  all  the  decorative  assets  of  the  time.  The 
scheme  usually  included  some  central  feature — a  decor- 
ative panel  or  picture — surrounded  by  a  composition 
of  some  of  the  motifs  just  enumerated.  The  whole  com- 
position might  be  in  stone,  wood  or  stucco. 

Ceiling  beams  (Plate  SOB)  were  often  decorated 
with  painted  and  gilt  patterns  as  were  also  the  enclosed 
panels  (Plate  31  B).  Sometimes  the  panels  were  of 
stucco  wrought  and  coloured.  Again,  the  whole  ceil- 
ing was  an  elaborate  production  of  the  plasterer's  art 
(Plates  29  arid  31  A)  with  heavy  stucco  details  and 
gorgeous  colouring. 

The  formerly  mentioned  flooring  materials  contin- 
ued in  use  in  varying  degrees  of  popularity,  but  mar- 
ble tiling  and  parquetted  wooden  floors  (Plates  29  and 
30  A  and  B)  were  regarded  with  most  favour. 

Style  Louis  XIV. — In  his  admirable  summarisation 
of  characteristics  that  dominated  the  style  of  Louis 
XIV,  W.  H.  Ward  (Architecture  of  the  Renaissance  in 
France)  says,  "No  government,  however  powerful,  and 
no  monarch,  however  good  his  taste — and  within  cer- 


122  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

tain  limits  that  of  Louis  XIV  was  excellent— can  create 
an  art  or  a  literature  to  order.  Success  was  achieved 
in  virtue  of  a  coincidence  in  aim  with  the  artistic  ten- 
dencies of  the  century  and  a  skillful  choice  of  agents." 
To  put  the  matter  a  little  differently,  one  might  say 
that  the  almost  universal  prevalence,  at  any  one  given 
period,  of  a  great  wrave  of  popular  taste  or,  in  other 
words,  the  vogue  of  a  particular  style,  may  be  likened 
to  the  on-sweeping  epidemic  of  a  contagious  disease 
that  few  or  none  can  wholly  escape.  One  person,  for  in- 
stance, may  have  a  light  case  of  small-pox  and  be  ap- 
parently little  affected  by  the  disorder;  another  may 
be  severely  ill  with  all  the  attendant  symptoms  fully 
developed.  But  the  same  influence  has  been  at  work 
in  both  cases.  So  is  it  in  the  matter  of  falling  under  a 
style  of  influence  and  so  is  it  that  the  epidemic  of  a 
style  merges  into  a  clearly  defined  and  crystallised 
fashion. 

Thus  was  it  also  in  the  case  of  the  Style  Louis  XIV. 
There  were  certain  antecedents  back  of  it  whose  pres- 
ence, in  the  new  style  development,  could  not  be  ignored 
and  from  whose  influence  there  could  be  no  complete 
escape,  no  matter  what  fresh  elements  came  into  play, 
unless  there  was  to  be  an  absolute  and  drastic  revolu- 
tion in  all  conceptions  and  in  all  methods  of  style 
expression.  And  such  a  sweeping  revolution  it  would 
have  been  exceedingly  difficult  to  compass  even  had  it 
been  desirable  or  desired.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  it  was 
not  desired  and  the  obvious  solution,  therefore,  was 
a  compromise  with  the  infusion  of  a  large  and  vigorous 
new  element  of  ideals.  The  Style  Louis  XIV  was  just 
such  a  compromise.  It  was  a  full  coordination  of  the 
elements  that  had  gone  to  make  up  the  Henri  IV-Louis 
XIII  style  with  something  added — a  very  appreciable 
addition,  indeed.  In  architecture,  and  to  a  very  much 


PLATE  34 


BED  CHAMBER  OF  LOUIS  XIV.     VERSAILLES.     STYLE   LOUIS  XIV 

From  "Librarie  Centrale  d'Art  et  d' Architecture" 

Courtesy  of  William  Helburn,  Inc. 


PLATE  35 


PLATE  36 


O  4 


3  3 

2s  « 
2.  c 

I  > 

tr  o 


O 

2 

- 

ce" 

HO 
K- 
t-^ 
H- 


FRANCE  123 

greater  extent  in  decoration,  it  was  a  compromise,  and 
on  the  whole  a  sane  and  satisfying  compromise,  between 
Palladianisni — the  scholastic  interpretation  of  Classi- 
cism as  formulated  during  the  late  Italian  Renaissance 
— and  Baroque  tendencies.  The  result  was  Baroque 
idealised,  purged  of  its  grossness  and  abnormal,  swol- 
len heaviness,  presented  in  a  tempering  and  restraining 
setting  of  Classicism  (Plate  35),  a  rationalised  style 
that  incorporated  what  was  best  in  the  preceding  epi- 
sode and  added  positive  elements  of  fresh  provenance. 
Its  physical  affinities  were  Baroque,  a  chastened  and 
reasoned  Baroque;  its  spiritual  affinities  were  Classic 
and  Renaissance. 

The  foremost  artists  and  craftsmen  of  the  age— 
and  it  was  a  truly  great  age,  despite  certain  defects- 
encouraged  and  assisted  by  the  king,  aided  in  making 
the  Style  Louis  XIV  one  of  the  most  sumptuous  and 
impressive  that  the  world  has  ever  seen.  Simon  Vouet, 
Eugene  Le  Sueur,  Nicholas  Poussin,  Charles  Le  Brun. 
Le  Pautre,  Marot,  Francesco  Romanelli,  Berain,  Jac- 
ques Sarrazin,  Laurent  Magnier,  these  are  a  few  of  the 
names  of  men  who  added  lustre  to  the  decorative  work 
of  the  period,  their  association  with  the  practice  of 
their  several  metiers  proving  a  guarantee  of  the  excel- 
lence therein  realised. 

If  the  cartouche  and  all  its  satellite  entourage  of 
auxiliary  motifs  was  the  "trade-mark"  of  the  Style 
Louis  XIII,  the  rayed  sun,  the  Gallic  cock,  along  with 
the  shaped  panel  (Plate  33,  Figs.  1-5)  and  all  its  kin- 
dred variations,  may  be  regarded  as  the  badges  of 
Louis  XIV  decorative  expression.  Other  distinguish- 
ing traits  were  the  impressive  applied  orders  (Plates 
34,  35  and  36  A) ,  the  general  architectural  composition 
of  interiors  (Plate  35),  the  full  convex  sections  of 
mouldings  (Plates  32,  34  and  35)  and  projecting  mem- 


124  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

bers,  often  deeply  undercut,  the  frequent  use  of  the 
torus  and  of  the  cytna  reversa,  reticulated  diaperwork 
(Plate  33,  Fig.  7)  in  otherwise  unoccupied  spaces  such 
as  spandrels,  and  the  striking  use  of  shadow.  It  was, 
in  short,  an  opulent,  masculine  and  magnificent  style. 

Windows  and  doors  were  commonly  square-headed 
(Plate  36  A)  or  round-arched  (Plate  35),  the  former 
being  far  more  numerous.  The  divisions  of  casements 
and  panes  were,  as  a  rule,  much  the  same  as  in  the  pre- 
ceding style.  Mouldings  of  door  frames  were  full  and 
often  richly  ornate,  and  above  important  doorways  was 
generally  an  imposing  architectural  and  decorative 
composition  (Plate  34)  in  bold  relief,  subsidiary  fea- 
tures of  the  decoration  not  infrequently  extending  to 
the  floor  on  either  side.  The  doors  themselves  were 
richly  panelled  (Plates  34,  35  and  36  A)  and  decorated 
in  relief  or  colour  or  both. 

Order  and  organised  symmetry  were  two  of  the 
most  characteristic  traits  of  the  style  and  the  wall 
spaces,  vast  as  many  of  them  were,  afforded  oppor- 
tunity for  impressive  architectural  composition  with 
the  use  of  orders  of  pilasters  and  rich  panelling  be- 
tween. The  whole  ensemble  represented  "  symmetri- 
cal and  careful  scheme,  distributed  into  large  well- 
defined  divisions,  and  these  sometimes  subdivided  into 
smaller  compartments. ' '  The  tops  of  panels  were  com- 
monly shaped  (Plate  33,  Figs.  1-5),  or 'rounded,  and 
angles  were  apt  to  be  softened  into  quadrants. 

Where  orders  of  pilasters  were  not  used,  walls  were, 
nevertheless,  divided  into  compartments  or  broad  rec- 
tangular panels  (Plate  32),  extending  from  floor  or 
dado  to  cornice,  with  enriched  borders,  "the  centre 
either  plain  or  containing  a  tapestry,  a  picture,  a  relief, 
a  carved  or  painted  arabesque,  or  octagonal  panel  in 
the  centre." 


FRANCE  125 

The  motifs  and  "properties"  most  in  evidence,  be- 
sides those  already  mentioned,  were  the  lion,  eagle  and 
griffin  among  animal  forms,  normal  and  robust  human 
figures  quite  different  from  Rubens 's  specimens  of 
unwholesome  obesity ;  and,  in  the  vegetable  types,  oak, 
laurel  and  olive  in  full,  close-packed  and  be-ribboned 
wreaths,  acanthus,  heavy  swags  and  drops  of  fruit 
and  foliage.  Shells  and  scrolls,  cherubs  and  masques 
(Plate  33,  Figs.  6  and  7),  were  used  to  break  the  cen- 
tres of  lintels  or  arches ;  while  the  cartouche,  in  conjunc- 
tion with  architectural  mouldings  and  pediments,  was 
reduced  to  "its  original  function  of  framing  a  shield 
or  panel."  Architraves  and  kindred  members  form- 
ing "frames  to  panels  and  openings  were  broad  and 
bold,  and  carved  with  close-packed  foliage  or  other 
enrichments. ' ' 

When  tapestries  were  used,  it  was  a  common  prac- 
tice to  stretch  them  in  a  fixed  frame  like  a  painting  or 
to  empanel  them.  Wall  adornment  also  often  con- 
sisted of  modelled  stucco  (Plate  32),  of  paintings  or 
frescoes  (Plate  32),  and  of  inlays  or  coatings  of  vari- 
ous and  richly  coloured  marbles.  Mirrors  also  began 
to  be  employed  for  wall  panelling  and  for  incorpora- 
tion in  chimney-pieces.  The  colour  schemes  were  full 
and  vigorous  and  gilding  was  freely  called  into  service. 

Fireplaces  with  their  accompanying  overmantel 
decorations  were  focal  features  in  the  composition  of 
the  room  (Plates  35  and  36  B),  although  the  chimney 
breast  was  now  often  disguised  in  the  thickness  of  the 
wall  and,  instead  of  the  fireplace  and  chimney-piece 
constituting  an  architectural  projection,  it  became  a 
massively  detailed  and  impressive  piece  of  applied  dec- 
oration. The  overmantel  embellishment,  whether  a 
picture  empanelled  in  an  ornate  and  heavily  moulded 


126  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

surround,  or  some  other  feature,  usually  extended  to 
the  cornice. 

Cornices  were  distinctly  architectural  (Plates  34 
and  35)  in  their  interpretation.  Ceilings,  which  were 
frequently  plastered  with  a  flat  surface  throughout 
their  expanse,  were  commonly  enriched  with  heavily 
moulded  plaster  or  stucco  ornamentation  of  an  elab- 
orate character  to  which  the  additional  touches  of  col- 
our and  gilding  were  added.  The  larger  panels  of  the 
ceilings  were  often  the  vehicles  for  gorgeous  frescoes. 
At  other  times  the  beams  were  visible  and  coloured 
and  gilt  decoration  was  added  to  coffered  panels  and 
projections.  Barrel  vaulted  (Plate  32),  domed  and 
coved  (Plate  35)  ceilings  were  used  as  well  as  flat. 
The  floors  were  of  various-coloured  marbles,  of  tiles 
and  of  wood,  plain  or  parquetted  in  patterns. 

Furniture  and  Decoration. — During  the  sixteenth 
century,  Renaissance  forms  of  furniture  completely 
ousted  any  remaining  traces  of  Gothic  design.  Gothic 
influence,  however,  persisted  for  a  time  in  the  high- 
backed,  stall-like  seigneurial  chairs  of  state.  Oak  and 
walnut  were  the  staple  cabinet  woods  and  yielded  a 
ready  medium  for  the  interpretation  of  Renaissance 
ideals,  especially  the  latter,  which  was  much  more  re- 
sponsive to  the  carver's  efforts. 

The  chief  articles  of  furniture  (v.  illustrations,  Part 
III)  were  chests  and  cabinets,  a  few  chairs  of  state — 
the  use  of  a  chair  was  still  a  mark  of  distinction  and 
rank — and  tables,  either  of  the  draw  or  refectory 
variety.  Contours  were  bold  and  structure  heavy,  al- 
though the  lines  were  graceful,  for  French  artisans 
had  proved  apt  pupils  and  shown  themselves  alert  to 
grasp  the  new  ideas  of  style  and  oftentimes  to  improve 
upon  them.  Upholstery,  more  as  a  bit  of  elegance  than 
for  comfort,  was  introduced  fairly  early  in  the  century, 


FRANCE  127 

but  it  was  not  until  the  latter  part  of  the  century  that 
it  figured  to  any  appreciable  extent.  Carving  was  the 
chief  decorative  resource  and  the  motifs  used  by  the 
carver,  as  well  as  the  structural  contour  of  the  objects, 
closely  reflected  contemporary  architectural  features. 

From  about  the  beginning  of  the  seventeenth  cen- 
tury, the  progress  of  French  mobiliary  art  made  rapid 
strides.  The  variety  of  articles  in  use  increased,  struc- 
ture became  lighter,  contours  more  graceful,  decora- 
tive processes  more  diversified,  and  altogether  the 
characteristics  of  a  politer  age,  or  at  least  a  more  lux- 
urious age,  were  unmistakable.  Indeed,  the  French  cab- 
inet-makers and  carvers  of  the  end  of  the  sixteenth 
century  and  the  beginning  of  the  seventeenth  quite 
equalled  in  skill  and  taste  their  Italian  preceptors  and, 
in  addition  to  other  excellences,  they  succeeded  in 
imparting  a  very  distinct  touch  of  national  individu- 
ality to  their  handiwork.  By  this  time  Baroque  influ- 
ence had  perceptibly  affected  French  mobiliary  design 
and  we  find  curvilinear  structural  elements,  such  as 
scrolled  legs,  arms  and  stretchers,  profusion  of  orna- 
ment, and  detail  in  vigorous  relief,  in  distinction  to  the 
rectilinear,  flatter  and  more  reticent  qualities  that 
marked  the  earlier  styles. 

Under  the  lavish  patronage  of  Louis  XIV,  the  mak- 
ing of  furniture  attained  a  degree  of  finish  and  per- 
fection hitherto  unprecedented  in  any  country. 
Furniture,  likewise,  branched  out  into  various  new 
phases.  Besides  employing  the  staple  oak  and  walnut, 
rare  woods  of  divers  colours  and  ornamental  grains 
were  freely  drawn  upon  for  veneer,  inlay  and  marque- 
terie.  One  of  the  most  significant  developments  was 
the  introduction  of  the  wonderful  Boule  inlay  of  tor- 
toise-shell and  brass.  To  set  off  properly  this  extraor- 
dinarily rich  combination,  elaborate  ormolu  mounts 


128  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

and  metal  appliques,  cast,  chiselled  and  engraved,  were 
profusely  resorted  to.  Painting,  gilding,  lacquering, 
and  carving  also  played  their  respective  parts,  but 
there  were  so  many  decorative  processes  now  available 
that  carving  lost  its  paramount  position.  Although 
Baroque  scrolls  and  curves  had  long  since  established 
themselves,  structural  lines,  especially  in  cabinet  work, 
were  mainly  rectilinear.  Cabinets  and  armoires  were 
among  some  of  the  most  resplendent  examples  of  this 
resplendent  age. 

Other  Decorative  Accessories  and  Movable  Decora- 
tions.— Throughout  the  sixteenth  century  there  poured 
into  France  choice  products  of  craftsmanship  from 
Italy  and  the  East — ivories,  intarsias,  goldsmiths' 
work,  maiolicas,  small  mirrors  from  Venice  curiously 
set,  and  divers  objects  of  like  nature — which,  however, 
came  more  in  the  capacity  of  curios  and  cherished  per- 
sonal possessions  than  as  accessories  to  decoration. 
Apart  from  the  wrought-iron  or  brass  candelabra  and 
sconces  (Plate  32),  and  the  banners,  arms  and  trophies 
of  the  chase,  the  chief  decorative  accessories  were  such 
as  have  already  been  noted  in  connexion  with  the  fixed 
background. 

In  the  seventeenth  century  the  story  was  quite  dif- 
ferent. Besides  the  tapestries,  hangings  and  pictures 
whose  presence  was  mentioned  in  discussing  the  fixed 
decorations,  foreign  trade  had  brought  porcelains  and 
bronzes  from  the  Orient,  zeal  for  classic  research  had 
stimulated  the  use  of  sculpture  in  marble  and  bronze, 
and  lacquer  from  the  East  was  beginning  to  count  as  an 
appreciable  item.  The  brass  founders  and  the  smiths 
were  contributing  chandeliers  and  sconces  of  admirable 
design  and  these  were  employed  to  the  full  extent  of 
their  decorative  as  well  as  utilitarian  capacity. 

During  the  reign  of  Louis  XIV  all  of  the  aforemen- 


FRANCE  129 

tioned  accessories  were  multiplied  in  number  and  the 
recently  started  manufacture,  in  France,  of  mirrors  of 
greater  size  than  heretofore  contributed  another  item 
of  effective  decoration,  while  the  metal  workers  ex- 
celled their  past  performances  in  the  fashioning  of 
lamps,  candelabra  and  sconces,  which  performed  a  more 
conspicuous  function  in  the  decorative  schemes  than 
ever  before.  Glass  and  crystal  lustres  for  chandeliers 
and  sconces  also  helped  to  create  brilliant  results. 

Materials  and  Colour. — The  materials  of  furniture 
and  the  fixed  decorations  have  been  noted  in  preceding 
paragraphs.  The  fabrics  employed  during  this  period, 
besides  embroideries  and  tapestries,  numbered  silks, 
satins,  brocades,  damasks,  brocatelles,  velvets  plain 
and  figured,  and  printed  linens.  Copious  importations 
from  Italy  were  later  supplemented  by  the  excellent 
products  of  the  French  looms.  Throughout  the  period 
the  colours  were  rich,  full  and  varied,  and  the  patterns 
were,  for  the  most  part,  vigorous  and  large. 

Arrangement. — During  much  of  the  sixteenth  cen- 
tury the  arrangement  of  furniture  was  determined 
more  by  considerations  of  convenience  than  by  notions 
of  symmetrical  composition  or  systematic  grouping. 
By  the  end  of  the  century  principles  of  formal  balance 
were  beginning  to  be  heeded  and  by  the  middle  of  the 
seventeenth  century,  in  the  reign  of  Louis  XIV,  con- 
ceptions of  formalism  and  symmetry  in  arrangement 
had  reached  their  full  fruition  and  pairs  of  objects 
were  symmetrically  disposed  where  they  would  pro- 
duce the  most  impressive  effect. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

INTERIOR  DECORATION  IN  FRANCE  DURING 

THE   EIGHTEENTH    CENTURY   AND    THE 

FIRST  DECADES  OF  THE  NINETEENTH 

/NTRODUCTION.—The  story  of  interior  decora- 
tion in  France  during  the  eighteenth  century 
and  the  first  decades  of  the  nineteenth  is  not 
only  dramatically  fascinating  from  the  merely  human 
point  of  view,  and  intensely  suggestive  of  innumer- 
able precedents  susceptible  of  modern  application 
with  the  most  felicitious  results,  but  it  is  also  thor- 
oughly illuminating  to  the  student  of  how  and  why 
things  were  done  and  of  the  methods  of  composition 
and  design  manipulation.  The  French  were  then,  as 
they  always  had  been,  such  consummate  masters  in  the 
art  of  assimilating  divers  elements  and  of  evolving 
therefrom,  with  rare  selective  insight,  new  combina- 
tions and  striking  forms  of  expression  that  a  careful 
survey  of  their  processes  well  repays  investigation.  In- 
deed, it  is  indispensable  as  a  part  of  preparation  for 
dealing  successfully  with  modern  requirements  in  the 
decorative  field. 

It  will  suit  our  purpose  best  and  conduce  to  a  truer 
and  more  coherent  estimate  of  the  character  of  the 
period  if  we  begin  our  discussion  with  the  accession 
of  Louis  XV  in  the  year  1715.  The  earlier  years  of  the 
century  really  belong  to  the  preceding  period,  although 
the  influences  that  blossomed  forth  in  full  force  upon 
the  demise  of  the  Grand  Monarque,  and  the  letting 
down  of  the  restrictions  and  conventions  that  had  been 
rigorously  upheld  during  his  lifetime,  had  been  at  work 
for  a  number  of  years  prior  to  that  event.  The  year 
130 


FRANCE  131 

1715,  so  far  as  any  one  specific  date  can  signalise  a  line 
of  demarcation  between  two  styles,  which  are  nearly 
always  necessarily  of  gradual  growth  and  are  wont  to 
overlap  each  other  in  their  course  of  progress,  marked 
the  final  breaking  away  from  the  old  spirit  of  ponder- 
osity and  oppressive  formalism  which  had  been  rigidly 
maintained,  in  theory  at  least,  with  a  sense  of  almost 
religious  obligation,  so  long  as  the  "Roi  Soleil"  sate 
upon  the  throne.  Once  the  restraining  force  was  re- 
moved, reaction  set  in  as  swiftly  as  a  bow  flies  back 
when  the  arrow  is  shot. 

One  phase  of  the  revulsion  materially  affected  the 
very  character  of  the  houses  and  influenced  not  only 
such  building  activities  as  were  newly  undertaken  but 
set  in  motion  a  significant  train  of  alterations  and  read- 
justments in  the  palaces,  chateaux  and  houses  that  al- 
ready existed.  The  people  were  determined  to  be  rid 
of  the  palatial  atmosphere  of  the  old  regime  that  had 
grievously  weighed  upon  their  spirits  and  irritated 
their  nerves.  "The  chilly  splendours  of  the  vast  and 
imposing  halls,  which  had  persisted  in  the  last  century, 
might  be  an  admirable  setting  for  state  pageants,  but 
they  no  longer  answered  the  wants  of  society,  whose 
chief  requirement  was  a  congenial  milieu  for  intimate 
gatherings,  combining  cosiness,  daintiness,  and  gaiety. 
The  age  of  the  withdrawing-room  and  boudoir  had 
arrived.'*  Outwardly,  indeed,  the  architectural  char- 
acter of  the  newer  domestic  edifices  exhibited  little  if 
any  noticeable  departure  from  former  precedent. 
"Many  of  the  chief  monuments  erected  at  this  period 
might,  except  for  relatively  unimportant  details,  be- 
long equally  well  to  the  periods  which  preceded  or  fol- 
lowed ;  the  majority  of  its  buildings  betray  their  Louis 
Quinze  character  externally,  if  at  all,  only  by  the  few 
features  which  were  carved  or  otherwise  enriched." 


132  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

It  was  inside  that  the  notable  changes  took  place. 
People  preferred  smaller  houses,  it  is  true,  and  built 
smaller  houses,  and,  in  the  country,  the  petites  maisons, 
where  they  could  quickly  escape  from  all  tedious  for- 
malities, were  often  more  regularly  occupied  than  the 
chateaux  to  which  they  belonged,  but  the  people  like- 
wise fell  to  breaking  up  large  apartments  into  suites 
of  smaller  ones — the  precedent  for  this  had  been  set 
at  Versailles — and  prepared  themselves  an  environ- 
ment in  which  to  live  rather  than  a  setting  in  which  to 
be  on  parade.  And  it  is  with  the  interiors  of  such 
houses  and  apartments,  "  devoted  to  pleasure  and  so- 
cial life,"  that  we  are  here  concerned,  with  their  dec- 
orations and  furnishings  to  which,  under  their  various 
guises,  we  apply  the  generic  term,  "Style  Louis 
Quinze." 

In  a  broad,  general  way,  when  speaking  of  the  great 
decorative  styles,  the  term  Rococo  is  usually  regarded 
as  synonymous  with  the  Style  Louis  Quinze.  And  for 
purposes  of  convenience  and  the  sense  of  identity  that 
has  sprung  up,  we  may  let  it  go  at  that.  In  doing  so, 
however,  we  must  make  this  reservation  for  the  sake 
of  historical  accuracy.  The  early  years  of  the  Regency, 
while  the  Duke  of  Orleans  held  the  reins  of  govern- 
ment, saw  the  development  of  a  style  commonly  termed 
Eegence,  which  marked  the  transition  between  the 
"  Style  Louis  Quatorze"  and  the  later  full-fledged  Ro- 
coco. We  must  also  add,  and  insist  that  the  facts  be 
kept  clearly  in  mind,  that  the  Rococo  style,  in  the  larger 
signification  of  the  term,  had  really  struck  root  in  the 
latter  years  of  the  reign  of  Louis  XIV  and  that  it  had 
run  its  full  course  long  before  the  close  of  the  Fifteenth 
Louis 's  reign.  Furthermore,  we  must  call  attention  to 
the  fact  that  the  neo-Classic  style,  with  which  we  are 
wont  to  associate  the  name  of  Louis  Seize  when  speak- 


PLATE  37 


REGENCE  PANELLING  IN  CARVED  OAK.  PARCEL  GILT 

Collection  Lelouz 
Courtesy  of  Messrs.  L.  Alavoine  &  Co. 


PLATE  38 


FRANCE  133 

ing  of  French  decoration,  had  already  been  well  devel- 
oped and  established  for  years  in  popular  favour  when 
the  last-named  Louis  ascended  the  throne. 

Eococo,  using  the  term  in  its  more  comprehensive 
sense,  was  of  two  kinds,  good  and  bad.  It  may  be  lik- 
ened to  the  proverbial  little  girl  with  the  curl.  When 
it  was  good,  it  was  very,  very  good,  instinct  with  grace 
and  delicacy  and  full  of  a  most  refreshing,  blithesome 
naivete  of  conception  and  a  remarkable  finesse  of  exe- 
cution. Altogether,  it  was  a  decidedly  agreeable  and 
optimistic  style  to  live  with  and  radiated  a  kind  of 
decorative  sunshine.  Quite  on  the  other  side  of  the 
picture,  when  it  was  bad,  it  was  excessively  horrid. 
Nothing,  in  fact,  could  have  been  worse,  more  offen- 
sively vulgar,  more  nauseatingly  saccharine,  more  dis- 
torted, more  extravagant.  Adjectives,  indeed,  com- 
pletely fail  adequately  to  describe  the  thoroughly 
odious  and  inconsequently  vicious  character  of  the 
strumpet  phase  of  Eococo  decoration. 

That  Eococo  should  have  run  to  irresponsible  ex- 
travagance was,  perhaps,  not  unnatural  when  we 
remember  the  rigid  "centralised  systematisation"  of 
"life,  thought,"  and  of  every  kind  of  decorative  ex- 
pression that  had  previously  confined  all  efforts  within 
strait  and  prescribed  limits.  The  change  was  not 
merely  a  rebound ;  it  was  an  out  and  out  rebellion,  and 
that  any  of  its  fruits  should  have  been  tempered  with 
common  sense  and  artistic  judgment  is  cause  for  won- 
der rather  than  otherwise.  That  it  was  so  is  a  tribute 
and  testimony  to  the  innate  mental  balance  and  logical 
attitude  of  the  French  people. 

There  was  the  utmost  diversity  of  expression  in  this 
newly  dawned  era  which  may  be  regarded  as  a  period 
of  free-thinking  and  anarchy  in  decorative  art,  despite 
the  many  really  fine  things  it  produced.  Some  one  has 


134  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

characterised  it  as  a  "hot-house  period ";  whether  this 
be  quite  justifiable  or  not,  it  was  certainly  exotic.  It 
was  an  era  of  flux  and  changing  ideals.  The  quest  for 
novelty  was  the  one  constant  element  that  seemed 
dominant.  Everything  was  grist  that  came  to  the 
Rococoist's  mi11T  The  subjects  that  might  be  used  with 
high  approval  as  inspirations  for  decorative  treatment 
were  drawn  indiscriminately  from  the  "country,  ani- 
mal life,  the  customs  of  foreign  lands,"  Oriental  art 
and  every  other  conceivable  source.  There  was  the 
utmost  freedom  in  the  use  of  all  manner  of  naturalism. 
"The  subject,  indeed,  was  indifferent,  provided  it  was 
novel  in  itself,  and  that  its  artistic  presentment  had 
esprit  and  invested  it  with  le  bel  air.  .  .  .  All  known 
roles  of  architecture  might  be  set  aside  with  impunity, 
if  the  result  had  but  style,  piquancy  and  perfect 
technique." 

When  the  course  of  decorative  license  had  run  to 
its  utmost  limits,  it  was  to  be  expected  that  a  revulsion 
of  feeling  should  ensue.  And  this  reaction  came  in  the 
form  of  the  neo-Classic  style.  "While  the  decorative 
forces  let  loose  in  the  early  part  of  the  reign  of  Louis 
Fifteenth  had  "undoubtedly  pushed  defiance  of  Classi- 
cal traditions  further  than  any  other  period  since  the 
Renaissance,"  they  ultimately  "reached  a  climax  be- 
yond which  no  further  advance  in  the  same  direction 
was  possible,"  and  a  "fresh  return  to  the  sources" 
became  not  only  necessary  but  inevitable.  The  impar- 
tial student  of  the  work  of  the  Rococo  age  "cannot  but 
recognise  that  it  has  never  been  surpassed  for  finish, 
both  of  design  and  execution,  for  sparkling  elegance 
and  coquettish  playfulness — in  a  word,  for  complete 
adaptation  to  the  life  of  the  age  which,  with  all  its 
faults,  had  many  delightful  qualities";  but  the  impar- 
tial student  will  likewise  recognise  that  it  had  not  in 


FRANCE  135 

it  the  element  of  permanence.  While  it  was  often  most 
agreeable  it  was,  nevertheless,  essentially  ephemeral. 
It  was  also  essentially  restless.  And  the  time  had 
come  when  there  was  a  common  craving  for  something 
more  restful  in  decorative  expression. 

By  fortunate  coincidence,  there  had  gradually 
grown  up  a  widespread  disposition  toward  archaeo- 
logical research.  Perhaps  it  may  have  been  partly 
due  to  the  skeptical  spirit  of  the  age  which  was  unwill- 
ing to  accept  without  question  the  standards  and  con- 
ceptions that  had  been  handed  on  to  it  by  preceding 
ages.  At  any  rate,  the  fact  remained  that  antiquarian 
studies  and  appreciation,  hitherto  unparallelled  except 
in  the  beginning  of  the  Renaissance  period,  if  indeed 
then,  exerted  a  most  compelling  influence  upon  the 
popular  mind.  The  ruins  of  the  palace  of  Diocletian 
at  Spalato  had  been  not  only  explored  and  sketched  but 
accurately  measured  and  drawn  to  scale  by  the  Brothers 
Adam  and  the  results  of  their  labours  were  in  due 
course  published  in  several  volumes.  The  ruins  of 
Herculaneum  and  Pompeii  had  been  excavated  and 
most  thoroughly  studied  and  the  publication  of  the 
results  of  this  work  exercised  an  enormous  influence. 
Similar  undertakings,  dependent  upon  a  freshly  awak- 
ened ardour  for  antiquarian  research,  were  also  pushed 
forward  elsewhere  in  Italy,  in  Greece  and  in  other  por- 
tions of  what  had  once  been  the  Roman  Empire. 

The  outcome  of  all  this  activity  was  that  there  soon 
followed  a  consciousness,  growing  into  ?.n  overwhelm- 
ing and  general  conviction,  that  the  models  of  ancient 
architecture  and  ancient  decoration,  and  the  principles 
deduced  therefrom,  once  acclaimed  as  standards  by  the 
fathers  of  the  Renaissance  and  their  successors,  did 
not  by  any  means  represent  all  the  architectural  and 
decorative  wealth  of  Classic  antiquity  nor  even,  neces- 


136  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

sarily,  what  was  best.  The  full  realisation  of  this 
larger  horizon  with  its  larger  liberty  of  interpretation, 
along  with  such  rationalistic  attacks  upon  the  affecta- 
tions of  Palladianism  as  that  put  forth  by  the  Abbe 
Langier,  spelled  the  doom  of  Vitruvianism,  which  quite 
collapsed.  Architects  and  decorators  disregarded  the 
earlier  norms  that  were  thus  proved  to  be  artificial  and 
arbitrary,  and  not  infallible  as  they  had  once  been  sup- 
posed, and  went  back  direct  to  fresh  springs  for 
inspiration. 

This  new  influence  was  felt  not  only  in  France  but 
also  in  England  and  all  throughout  the  Continent.  In 
France  it  assumed  a  concrete  form  that  we  know  as  the 
1 '  Style  Louis  Seize. ' '  It  was  architecturally  and  dec- 
oratively  consistent  and  there  was  no  longen  any  tol- 
erance shown  for  that  earlier  compromise  between 
Palladianism  and  Rococo,  strict  architecture  and  free 
decoration,  an  anomalous  pairing  off  that  was  very 
like  condoning  a  Saturday  night  drunk  on  condition 
that  the  Sabbatarian  inebriate  would  remain  sober  the 
rest  of  the  time.  Along  with  the  renewed  ascendancy 
of  straight  lines  in  architecture  and  decoration,  charac- 
teristic of  the  Style  Louis  Seize,  and  along  with  a  cer- 
tain degree  of  Classic  severity,  we  can  see  also  the 
addition  of  many  elements  of  local  grace,  tempering 
blithesomeness  and  restrained  naturalism,  the  latter 
due  in  great  measure  to  the  influence  of  Eousseau, 
which  taken  all  together  gave  the  style  its  peculiar 
individuality. 

It  was  the  elimination  of  many  of  these  added 
graces  and  amenities  and  the  pushing  of  certain  influ- 
ences to  a  logical  and  somewhat  puristic  conclusion 
that  resulted  in  the  Directoire  Style.  The  urbanity 
and  mellowness  of  the  old  regime  were  now  taboo  and 
a  kind  of  archaeological  mania  seemed  to  have  possessed 


FRANCE  137 

men's  minds  and  impelled  them  to  find  their  highest 
satisfaction  in  discerning  parallels  between  their  own 
ideals  and  practice  and  the  precedents  afforded  by  a 
certain  period  of  Roman  public  and  domestic  life.  To 
such  an  extent  did  they  carry  the  infatuation  that,  not 
content  with  reproducing  as  nearly  as  circumstances 
would  permit  the  architectural  and  decorative  back- 
ground of  their  chosen  prototypal  Roman  period,  they 
even  tried  to  emulate  Roman  peculiarities  of  costume 
and  domestic  usage  and,  arrayed  in  tunics  and  togas, 
would  sit  or  recline  to  eat  a  meal  from  a  tripod 
table,  doubtless  with  more  archaeological  than  bodily 
satisfaction. 

While  the  Directoire  Style  was  professedly  a  revolt 
and  a  departure  from  the  Style  Louis  Seize,  it  was  in 
reality  a  development  from  it  or,  at  any  rate,  a  develop- 
ment from  the  same  parent  stock,  pushed  to  extremes 
and  a  little  attenuated  and  formalised  in  the  process. 
In  its  best  manifestation,  the  Directoire  Style  was  pure 
and  graceful,  but  the  very  rigidity  of  archaeological 
interpretation  to  which  its  sponsors  seem  to  have  been 
unalterably  committed,  would  soon  have  proved  its 
undoing  had  it  not,  ere  long,  been  completely  sup- 
planted by  the  Empire  Style.  Contemplating  the  two 
together  it  seems  hard  to  understand  how  two  modes, 
drawn  as  were  both  Directoire  and  Empire,  from 
much  the  same  Well-spring  of  inspiration  could  have 
turned  out  so  different  in  their  final  developments. 

The  determination  to  make  a  clean  break  with  all 
traditional  backgrounds,  so  far  as  French  history  was 
concerned,  and  to  give  the  people  a  new  system  of  art 
and  architecture  as  well  as  a  brand-new  political  or- 
ganisation resulted  in  Napoleonic  fiat  authorising 
Percier  and  Fontaine  to  devise  an  entirely  unprece- 
dented system  of  decoration  which  they  based,  indeed, 


138  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

upon  Classic  models,  but  upon  that  aspect  of  Classic 
models  most  calculated  to  appeal  to  aggressive  mili- 
taristic ideals.  Military  trophies  and  symbols,  and  the 
emblems  of  imperial  pomp,  were  freely  and  prepon- 
derantly introduced  among  the  properties  of  their 
schemes  of  decoration  along  with  the  more  graceful 
forms  that  had  characterised  Roman  decorative  art  in 
the  early  imperial  period.  Their  system,  though  often 
overloaded  with  ornament  and  excessively  prof  use,  was, 
nevertheless,  impressively  rich  and  sometimes  dis- 
played considerable  grace  and  charm  despite  its  obvious 
opulence.  In  the  earlier  stages  of  the  Empire  Style 
there  were  frequently  manifestations  worthy  of  sincere 
commendation.  That  was,  however,  before  the  style  be- 
came heavy,  debased,  vulgarised  and  bombastic  to  suit 
the  tastes  of  a  body  of  rich  parvenus  who  had  taken 
the  place  of  the  old  noblesse.  This  phase  of  the  style 
merits  only  condemnation. 

In  architecture  what  is  known  as  the  Greek  Revival 
parallelled  the  Empire  Style  in  decoration.  Its  inter- 
pretation was  usually  stolid,  pompous  and  heavy,  but 
its  saving  grace  was  that  it  was  generally  simple  and 
fortunately  took  its  direction  mainly  from  an  archaeo- 
logical bias  of  inspiration. 

Architectural  Background  and  Methods  of  Fixed 
Decoration. — In  the  preparation  of  the  fixed  architec- 
tural or  interior  decorative  backgrounds  of  the  Louis 
Quinze  or  Rococo  style  of  decoration,  using  the  latter 
term  in  the  sense  previously  explained,  we  find  certain 
general  characteristics  common  to  all  the  phases  that 
come  under  that  comprehensive  heading,  whether  or 
not  we  choose  to  attach  to  those  phases  the  names 
Eegence,  Watteau,  Boucher  or  RocaUle.  These  charac- 
teristics, which  betokened  an  amazing  fluidity  of  con- 
ception and  manipulation  in  all  the  aforesaid  varieties, 


FRANCE  139 

were  the  studied  avoidance  of  everything  formal  or 
ponderous;  the  neglect,  or  rather  the  deliberate  defi- 
ance, of  all  strict  Classical  canons  or  rules ;  the  elimi- 
nation of  deep  shadows  (Plates  37  and  39  A),  the  disuse 
of  straight,  especially  of  horizontally  straight,  lines 
and  of  right  angles,  and  a  consuming  "delight  in  ca- 
prices and  surprises,  playful  forms  and  piquant  com- 
binations. ' '  Everywhere  was  studied  irregularity  and 
complication  of  motifs  and  the  whole  system  of  decora- 
tion may  be  said  to  have  been  reduced  to  a  fluid  state 
and,  occasionally,  to  a  frenzy  of  anarchistic  riot.  After 
the  rigidity  of  the  Louis  Quatorze  period,  everything 
was  undergoing  a  process  of  mollification. 

The  architectural  foundation  upon  which  the  Louis 
Quinze  episodes  of  decoration  were  grafted  was  essen- 
tially symmetrical  in  its  genius  and  so  it  remained. 
Even  during  the  period  of  utmost  license  in  decorative 
practice,  the  French  mind  had  too  sincere  a  perception 
of  fundamental  values  and  too  profound  a  respect  for 
constructive  sanity  to  make  any  radical  departures 
from  the  structural  principles  and  usages  of  the  pre- 
ceding age.  Eooms,  therefore,  still  retained  their  sym- 
metry of  form  and  were  well  proportioned  in  respect 
of  their  usually  symmetrical  disposition  of  doors,  win- 
dows and  other  distinctly  architectural  features. 

There  was  a  tendency  to  accentuate  the  size  of  win- 
dows, and  the  window  openings,  in  a  great  many  cases 
extending  all  the  way  to  the  floor,  had  square-  or  arc- 
shaped  heads  or  else  terminated  in  either  round-headed 
arches  or  arches  very  much  flattened  at  the  top.  It  was 
a  common  thing  for  the  upper  part  of  the  windows  to 
contain  some  heavy  wooden  tracery  with  curved  flowing 
lines  or  else  to  be  separated  from  the  larger  and  lower 
part  by  an  horizontal  mullion  or  transonic,  and  the 
small  casements  of  the  upper  portion  opened  indepen- 


140  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

dently  of  the  long  casements  under  them.  Door  heads, 
like  the  tops  of  windows,  were  square,  arc-shaped, 
round-arched,  or  flat-arched. 

In  some  cases,  by  the  manipulation  of  the  interior 
trim,  there  was  a  tendency  to  bound  even  door  and 
window  openings,  especially  at  their  heads,  not  by  lines 
of  geometrical  regularity  that  would  indicate  their 
limits  as  structural  features,  but  by  a  succession  of 
curves,  retaining  only  the  chief  vertical  lines.  Such 
exaggerations  of  treatment,  however,  exaggerations 
that  justified  the  accusation  that  the  Rococo  style  was 
naught  but  a  series  of  "tormented  and  broken  lines," 
were  to  be  found  rather  in  extreme  cases  and  were  not 
the  rule,  as  the  limits  of  structural  features  were  ordi- 
narily clearly  defined  in  a  reasonable  manner.  The 
contours  of  mouldings  and  other  members  of  door  and 
window  trims,  in  accordance  with  the  prevailing  prac- 
tice, although  frequently  ornate  and  complicated  in 
line,  were  almost  invariably  flattened  (Plates  41  and 
47  A)  so  that  the  openings  did  not  assume  the  aspect 
of  dominant  features,  as  they  often  had  done  in  pre- 
ceding periods. 

The  treatment  of  walls  in  the  Louis  Quinze  style 
was  a  matter  of  paramount  concern.  The  Classic  or- 
ders, which  had  hitherto  played  so  conspicuous  a  part 
in  the  make-up  of  the  architectural  background,  were 
now  adjudged  quite  too  formal  as  a  dominant  element 
in  decoration  and  were  either  left  out  altogether  or 
else  so  radically  disguised  by  fantastic  treatment  that 
they  could  scarcely  be  recognised  at  all.  In  the  wall 
scheme  for  important  rooms,  pilasters  and  rectangular 
architraves  yielded  place  to  elaborate  framing  and  bor- 
dering of  panels. 

Panelling,  indeed,  was  the  chief  resource  (Plates 
37,  38  B,  42,  43,  44  and  46)  by  which  the  momentous 


FRANCE  141 

item  of  wall  treatment  was  compassed.  Wood  was  the 
favourite  and  most  universally  satisfactory  medium  for 
this  purpose  and  was  used  both  in  its  natural  state 
and  likewise  painted  or  painted  and  parcel  gilt.  When 
the  natural  wood  was  employed  (Plate  37),  it  was  fre- 
quently oak  or  light-coloured  walnut,  and  its  users  had 
the  sanity  to  let  it  alone  and  not  smear  it  over  with  any 
artificial  darkening  mixture.  Other  natural  woods 
than  the  two  just  mentioned  also  occurred. 

When  paint  and  gilt  played  a  part  in  the  scheme 
of  decorative  foundation,  one  favourite  combination 
was  white  and  gold,  the  flat  surfaces  being  painted 
white  and  the  mouldings  and  other  carved  projections 
gilt.  White  and  gold,  however,  were  by  no  means  pre- 
ponderantly in  vogue.  Colours  were  freely  used  (Plates 
38  B,  40,  41  and  42),  either  by  themselves  or  in  conjunc- 
tion with  gilding.  As  a  rule  the  colour  schemes,  as 
judging  from  the  social  character  of  the  times  we  might 
fancy  they  would  be,  were  prevailingly  light  and  gay — 
light  green,  citron,  tender  pink,  green  blues  and  blue 
greens,  yellow  or  buff,  light  warm  greys,  fawns  or  putty 
tones  and  occasionally  graining.  Sometimes  deeper 
tones  were  used,  such  as  fairly  dark  blues  or  greens, 
sufficiently  greyed,  and  the  necessary  lightening  was 
supplied  by  a  judicious  addition  of  gilding. 

Again,  when  wood  was  not  used  throughout  for  in- 
terior finish,  the  panels  were  often  executed  on  canvas 
and  then  the  canvasses  were  defined  and  held  in  place 
by  wooden  mouldings.  Besides  these  media  of  execu- 
tion, the  panelling  was  sometimes  wrought  in  plaster 
and  then  painted  and  gilt.  In  some  cases,  too,  while 
the  mouldings  were  of  wood,  the  elaborate  scroll,  shell, 
leaf  and  other  decorations  were  wrought  in  compo 
which,  indeed,  supplied  a  better  base  for  gilding  than 


142  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

wood,  which  had  first  to  be  gesso-coated  before  apply- 
ing the  gold  leaf. 

The  panels  were  large  and  vertically  oblong  in  their 
emphasis,  extending  all  the  way  from  a  low  dado  to 
the  cornice  (Plates  40,  41,  42,  and  44,  Fig.  3).  The 
width  varied  according  to  the  exigencies  of  the  room 
and  the  distribution  of  openings.  Some  of  the  panels 
were  very  narrow,  others  were  fairly  wide  (Plates  40, 
41  and  42).  They  were  always  spaced  and  balanced 
with  a  sense  of  symmetry  despite  the  tendencies  to  ir- 
regularity elsewhere  manifested. 

These  panels,  notwithstanding  all  their  "enrich- 
ment and  complication,"  by  force  of  sheer  height  ac- 
quired a  value  in  vertical  emphasis  equal  to  that  of  the 
erstwhile  conspicuous  pilasters  that  had  been  sup- 
pressed. This  process  of  flattening  out  or  completely 
suppressing  the  major  members  of  wall  projections  was 
consistently  carried  out  in  minor  details.  For  one 
thing,  the  projections  of  all  mouldings  were  substan- 
tially reduced  (Plate  39  A  and  B),  a  marked  departure 
from  the  practice  of  the  Louis  Quatorze  style.  Not  only 
did  the  contours  of  all  mouldings  become  appreciably 
flatter  and  slimmer,  but  all  other  projections  likewise 
were  radically  modified;  cornices  (Plate  39  A  and  B) 
and  pediments  that  had  cast  bold  and  vigorous  shad- 
ows were  replaced  by  "gentle  coves  (Plates  40,  41  and 
42)  and  graceful  volutes,"  sculpture  in  the  round  or 
trophies  and  emblems  in  high  relief  yielded  precedence 
to  paintings,  while  massive  carven  and  moulded  fruit 
and  foliage  swags  and  drops  or  similar  features  of  im- 
bricated laurel  leaves  were  cast  aside  for  "dainty 
wreaths  of  roses  and  fluttering  ribbons."  Everywhere 
the  forces  of  flattening  out  and  attenuation  were  simul- 
taneously in  operation  with  the  dominant  curvilinear 
force. 


FRANCE  143 

Attention  has  already  been  called  to  the  general 
aversion  from  straight  horizontal  lines  and  the  ten- 
dency to  bound  spaces  "not  by  geometrical  figures, 
but  by  a  series  of  curves  and  to  retain  only  their  main 
vertical  lines,  while  consoles  and  the  pedestals  were 
diversified  by  gentle  swellings  and  taperings."  In  ac- 
cordance with  this  all-prevalent  impetus,  the  bottoms 
(Plates  40,  41,  42,  43,  Figs.  7  and  8 ;  44,  Fig.  3,  and  47) 
as  well  as  the  tops  of  panels  were  often  curved  and 
broken,  while  "angles  and  junctions  of  all  sorts  were  A 
managed  by  means  of  scrolls,  flourishes  and  other  soft- 
ening devices. "  It  was  quite  the  common  thing  for  the 
only  horizontally  straight  lines  in  a  room  to  be  the  top 
of  the  dado  below  and  the  cornice  at  the  top  (Plates  40, 
42  and  47),  and  sometimes  the  latter  was  encroached 
upon  by  flamboyant  motifs  (Plate  41)  that  climbed 
from  the  wall  or  sprawled  over  the  ceiling.  In  the^ 
more  exaggerated  phases  of  the  style,  even  the  vertical 
bounding  lines  of  the  panels  were  not  free  from  occa- 
sional curvilinear  interference.  Ordinarily,  however, 
vertical  boundaries  of  panels  and  of  door  and  window 
openings  were  allowed  to  retain  their  customary  em- 
phasis modified  only  by  curvilinear  treatment  at  panel 
tops  and  bottoms  or,  perhaps,  by  small  superposed  in- 
terruptions in  the  forms  of  leafage  or  floral  sprays  or 
entwinements  (Plate  38  A). 

The  curvilinear  shaping  at  the  tops  and  bottoms  of 
panels,  or  above  doors  and  windows,  might  be  sym- 
metrical (Plates  42,  43,  Figs.  2,  4,  5  and  6;  44,  Figs. 
2  and  3,  and  47),  in  such  cases  usually  centring  in  a 
shell  (Plate  43,  Figs.  1  and  4).  or  some  similar  motif. 
Again,  and  this  was  peculiarly  characteristic  of  the 
Rocaille  episode,  it  might  be  altogether  asymmetrical, 
depending  upon  adroitly  counterposed  flexures  to  con- 
vey to  the  eye  a  sustaining  and  satisfying  ultimate 


144  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

sense  of  balance.  Here,  too,  a  centring  was  frequently 
made;  by  a  shell,  a  cartouche  or  a  mascaron  and  the 
general  treatment  was  apt  to  be  somewhat  flamboyant 
in  the  rapid  action  of  its  curves. 

Before  speaking  specifically  of  the  character  of  the 
decorative  motifs  customarily  employed  in  Louis 
Quinze  decoration,  it  seems  advisable  to  say  a  word 
about  the  manner  of  distribution.  In  a  period  of  such 
license  and  breaking  away  from  all  previous  canons 
of  restraint,  it  is  not  surprising  that  decorators  should , 
have  given  free  rein  to  their  fancy  and  indulged  in  the 
utmost  exuberance.  It  often  seemed  as  though  a  space 
left  undecorated  was  abhorrent  to  them  and  that  every 
space  carried  with  it  an  obligation  to  lavish  thereon 
some  kind  of  ornament.  If  one  may  be  permitted  to 
paraphrase  the  advice  of  the  bellicose  old  Irishman  to 
his  son  who  was  about  to  set  out  for  the  Donnybrook 
Fair:  "Mike,  wherever  you  see  a  head,  hit  it!"  one 
might  say  that  the  motto  of  the  decorator  of  this  epoch 
was,  "Wherever  you  see  a  space,  decorate  it!"  Not 
by  any  means  all  of  the  work  of  this  period  was  thus 
decorated  to  excess.  Some  of  the  simpler  things 
showed  admirable  restraint  and  reticence.  The  more 
elaborate  creations,  however,  and  especially  during  the 
Rocaille  stage,  often  laboured  under  a  redundancy  of 
ornament. 

One  of  the  most  characteristic  motifs  employed — 
we  should  not  be  far  amiss  in  calling  it  the  "trade- 
mark" of  the  Rocaille  phase  of  Louis  Quinze  decora- 
tion, just  as  the  scroll  composed  of  interrupted  curves 
had  virtually  been  the  trade-mark  of  Baroque  decora- 
tive design — was  the  shell  (Plate  38  A).  It  was  often 
shaped  very  much  indeed  like  a  large  oyster  shell,  more 
elongated  than  the  usual  Baroque  cockle  or  escallop 
shell  and  much  flared  at  the  top  with  clearly  defined 


FRANCE  145 

flutings,  scallops  or  frillings  of  surface  and  edges. 
Along  with  rockwork,  it  was  one  of  the  stock  motifs  of 
the  Rocaille  system  and  was  worked  for  all  its  might 
and  main,  being  constantly  in  evidence  under  a  wide 
diversity  of  guises  but  always  recognisable.  By  cut- 
ting out  all  the  body  of  the  shell  (Plate  43,  Figs.  1 
and  4)  so  that  only  the  outer  rim  was  left  they  derived 
a  cartouche  form  which  they  sometimes  employed  for 
small  mirror  frames  and  for  sconces  as  well  as  for  the 
centres  of  decorative  compositions. 

Sinuous  leaf  and  vegetable  motifs  (Plate  40),  which 
lent  themselves  readily  to  expression  in  flamboyant 
curves,  along  with  sundry  scrolls  and  flourishes  were 
likewise  everywhere  in  evidence  as  were  also  ribbons, 
scrolled  or  tied  in  loose  bows,  wreaths  and  bunches  of 
roses  and  other  flowers,  divers  naturalistic  details  and 
masques. 

One  important  resource  of  decorative  enrichment, 
of  which  the  Louis  Quinze  decorators  fully  availed 
themselves,  was  the  use  of  chequered,  latticed  and  other 
geometrically  diapered  groundwork  (Plate  43,  Figs. 
4  and  8)  to  fill  in  the  spaces  between  the  rectilinear  lines 
of  panel  heads  or  sides  and  the  multiplex  curving  forms 
of  other  bounding  lines ;  to  fill  in  the  distance  between 
curving  boundaries ;  and,  finally,  as  a  base  upon  which 
to  superpose  free  groupings  of  decorative  motifs.  This 
device  was  a  direct  reflection  of  Spanish  influence,  de- 
rived by  the  Spaniards,  in  turn,  from  the  Moors.  The 
effect  of  this  closely  chequered  or  latticed  diapering, 
with  its  seemingly  endless  succession  of  uniform  re- 
peats, was,  as  it  always  is,  to  produce  a  rich  texture 
rather  than  to  convey  any  conscious  impression  of 
pattern.  Furthermore,  it  served  as  a  medium  to  blend 
and  pull  together  diverse  forms  into  an  united  composi- 
tion and  helped  to  modify  the  sharpness  of  contrasts 
10 


146  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

that,  without  some  such  tempering  influence,  might 
have  seemed  too  incisive. 

One  evidence  of  the  naturalistic  tendency  of  the 
period  in  decoration  is  to  be  seen  in  the  popularity  of 
pastoral  motifs  (Plates  38  B  and  42)  of  which  Watteau, 
Fragonard,  Lancret  and  other  artists  of  scarcely  less 
note  were  the  chief  exponents.  Besides  making  use  of 
the  familiar  shell,  scroll  and  foliated  accessories,  they 
introduced  into  their  panel  paintings  dainty,  elegant 
dames  and  slim  courtly  beaux  in  gay  attire,  or  masquer- 
ading as  shepherds  and  shepherdesses,  disporting 
themselves  in  the  most  fanciful  pastoral  scenes  fur- 
nished forth  with  hedges,  trees,  flowers,  fountains,  birds 
and  animals  and  the  additional  accompaniments  of 
grilles,  lattices  and  trellised  arbours.  Panels  of  a  dif- 
ferent tone,  but  in  the  same  vein  of  elaborate  and  refined 
execution,  were  painted  by  Francois  Boucher  and  his 
school  who  decorated  both  boudoirs  and  salons  with 
voluptuous  and  erotic  scenes  from  Classic  mythology 
(Plates  38  A  and  41). 

All  manner  of  Chinese  motifs  were  combined  into 
genial  compositions  for  panels  and  other  features,  and 
from  these  graceful  Chinoiseries  it  was  but  a  step  to 
the  playful  singeries  or  representations  of  apes  and 
monkeys  in  human  costume  engaged  in  sundry  pranks. 
Chinoiseries,  singeries,  bergeries  and  other  pastoral 
scenes  were  commonly  incorporated  with  and  sur- 
rounded by  freely  rendered  arabesques,  many  of  which 
were  even  more  open  and  slender  in  composition  than 
were  Berain's,  and  more  modern  and  naturalistic  in  the 
subjects  depicted. 

To  the  foregoing  stock  of  properties  of  the  Louis 
Quinze  decorator  we  must  add  the  complement  of 
palms,  cartouches,  ribbons,  amorini,  sprigs  of  "slim 
spidery  foliage"  of  nondescript  genus,  along  with  a 


FRANCE  147 

medley  for  ceiling  adornment  consisting  of  gods  and 
goddesses,  blue  skies,  birds,  scattered  flowers,  butter- 
flies, and  rosy  clouds  inhabited  by  chubby  cherubs. 

Mirrors  were  immensely  popular  as  decorative  fac- 
tors (Plates  38  A,  39  A  and  B,  40,  41  and  47)  and  were 
freely  used  in  panels  and  incorporated  in  doors,  as 
well  as  occupying  an  important  place  over  mantels. 
Indeed,  they  were  used  to  such  an  extent  that,  between 
them  and  the  painted  panels,  there  was  little  chance  for 
pictures  most  of  which,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  were  of  dis- 
tinctly decorative  character  and  were  customarily  em- 
panelled as  overdoor  decorations  or  set  into  the  heads 
of  empanelled  mirrors  (Plates  38  A,  39  B,  41  and  42). 

In  not  a  few  rooms,  coved  niches  were  provided  at 
appropriate  places  for  the  display  of  sculpture  or  of 
carved  urns,  porcelain  vases  or  other  similar  items  of 
adornment. 

As  a  natural  accompaniment  to  the  many  mirrors 
there  were  numerous  sconces  (Plates  39  A  and  40) 
elaborately  wrought  in  chiselled  ormulu,  affixed  to 
small  mirrors  of  cartouche  shape,  or  made  of  glass  and 
crystal  with  pendants  to  catch  and  reflect  the  rays  of 
the  candles.  Chandeliers  also  (Plates  39  B,  42  and  47), 
either  in  ormulu  or  made  of  glass  and  crystal,  were  ob- 
jects of  ingenious  design  and  finished  workmanship. 

Fireplaces  were  low  in  dimension  (Plates  39  A  and 
B,  40  and  47)  and  sometimes  wide,  with  low  mantel- 
pieces of  wood,  marble  or  stone  carved  in  motifs  con- 
sistent with  the  rest  of  the  curvilinear  decoration.  The 
low  mantel  shelf  terminated  the  decorative  construc- 
tion of  the  fireplace;  there  were  no  structural  " con- 
tinued chimney-pieces.'*  The  front  of  the  chimney 
jamb  above  the  mantel  shelf  was  graced  by  a  mirror 
or  by  panelling  and  treated  in  a  manner  precisely  sim- 
ilar to  the  rest  of  the  walls. 


148  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

Cornices  were  low  in  projection  (Plate  39  A),  but 
were  frequently  coved  (Plates  39  B,  40,  41,  42  and  47) 
and  sometimes  of  considerable  width.  It  was  not  an 
uncommon  practice  to  divide  the  cornice  into  oblong- 
panels  with  groups  of  decoration  centred  in  them  thus, 
in  a  way,  echoing  the  treatment  of  the  walls.  Then 
again,  as  previously  noted,  the  cornice  decoration  oc- 
casionally climbed  up  and  encroached  upon  the  ceiling 
(Plates  39  B,  40  and  41).  Ceilings  were  frescoed  or 
else  decorated  with  a  certain  amount  of  relief  in  plaster 
which  could  be  coloured  or  gilt. 

While  marble-tiled  floors  might  now  and  then  be  em- 
ployed in  galleries  and  a  few  large  apartments,  wooden 
floors  were  almost  universally  prevalent  and  were  very 
commonly  parquetted  with  varicoloured  woods  and 
divers  patterns. 

In  contrast  with  the  "  Style  Louis  Quinze,"  the 
" Style  Louis  Seize"  was  marked  architecturally  by  a 
' 'four-square  sobriety"  and  decoratively  by  a  return 
to  classical  purity  of  expression  and  more  restraint  in 
the  quantity  and  distribution  of  ornament.  Both  archi- 
tecture and  decoration  became  perceptibly  simpler  and 
more  reserved,  though  not  severe.  There  was  no  dim- 
inution in  refinement  of  design  nor  in  rendering,  but 
there  was  a  readier  disposition  to  acquiesce  in  the 
11  guidance  of  antiquity."  There  was  no  longer  an 
"architectural  tendency  pulling  in  one  direction  and  a 
decorative  tendency  pulling  in  another."  Architecture 
and  decoration  were  again  wholly  consistent  the  one 
with  the  other  and  the  Style  Louis  Seize,  with  reference 
to  both  architecture  and  decoration,  was  unquestion- 
ably a  "more  completely  homogeneous  style  than  any 
of  those  which  had  obtained  since  Henri  II." 

For  the  chief  specific  characteristics  of  the  Style 
Louis  Seize  and  items  of  contrast  with  the  preceding 


PLATE  39 


ir* 

» v  s  *•*      -  j. 


PLATE  40 


CHIMNEY-PIECE,  HOTEL  DE  MATIGNON,  PARIS.     STYLE  LOUIS  XV 

(EXTREME  ROCOCO) 

From  "Les  Vieux  Hotels  de  Paris,"    F.  Contet 
Courtesy  of  William  Helburn,  Inc. 


PLATE  41 


PLATE    42 


FRANCE  149 

style,  we  may  point  to  the  reassertion  of  the  principles 
of  symmetry  and  of  rectilinear  and  rectangular  treat- 
ment (Plates  44,  Fig.  1,  and  46) ;  the  general  avoidance 
of  curved  forms  with  the  occasional  exception  of  simple 
circles  and  ellipses  which,  however,  were  always  kept 
subservient  to  the  rectangular  environment ;  the  carry- 
ing through  of  straight  lines  with  the  least  possible  in- 
terruption ;  the  inclusion  of  such  arched  forms  as  were 
used  within  a  rectangular  panel  or  recess  (Plates  48  B 
and  49) ;  the  use  of  undisguised  and  unrounded  angles 
(Plate  46)  except  occasionally  in  the  framing  of  panels 
whose  corners  were  modified  by  square  re-entering 
angles,  the  space  thus  formed  being  filled  by  a  rosette 
(Plate  46)  except  occasionally  in  the  framing  of  panels 
cornices,  friezes,  balustrades  and  lintels  uninterrupted 
by  cartouches,  ornate  keyblocks  or  sculpture. 

Kooms  were  scrupulously  symmetrical  and  well  pro- 
portioned in  their  dimensions  and  in  the  balanced  dis- 
position of  windows  and  doors.  Windows  commonly 
extended  all  the  way  to  the  floor  and  even  those  that 
did  not  had  low  cills.  They  were  almost  invariably  of 
the  casement  type  with  wooden  muntins,  stiles  and  rails 
and  were  frequently  divided  vertically  by  a  mullion  and 
horizontally  by  a  transome,  the  upper  section,  when 
such  divisions  were  made,  being  smaller  than  the  lower, 
and,  of  course,  opening  independently.  Window  and 
door  heads  were  commonly  rectangular  (Plates  47  A 
and  B  and  48  A),  or,  when  round-arched  (Plate  48  B), 
straight  lines  and  rectangular  elements  were  so  dis- 
posed as  to  maintain  the  rectilinear  predominance. 

Trims  for  doors  and  windows  were  of  low  projection 
and  refined  contour  (Plates  47  B  and  48).  They  were 
also  of  far  more  restrained  design  and  of  rectilinear 
emphasis.  Wherever  any  curved  features  were  re- 
tained in  door  heads  (Plate  45,  Fig.  1)  or  in  overdoor 


150  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

treatment,  they  were  always  subordinated  to  the  rec- 
tilinear note  in  composition  as  in  all  similar  instances 
to  which  attention  has  already  been  called.  Classic 
pilasters  often  framed  door  and  window  openings  in 
the  larger  and  more  important  rooms,  while  in  smaller 
rooms,  where  it  was  desirable  to  keep  the  scale 
down  and  to  flatten  projections,  the  pilasters  were 
not  seldom  replaced  by  thin  strips  (Plate  44,  Fig.  1). 
All  mouldings  and  projections  were  derived  from 
Classic  precedents  and  maintained  the  aspect  of  purity 
and  severe  restraint  consistent  with  their  source  of 
inspiration. 

Walls  were  both  panelled  (Plates  46,  47  B,  48  and 
49)  and  plain  of  surface.  Panelled  walls  were  executed 
in  wood,  either  in  its  natural  finish  or  painted,  the  lat- 
ter being  the  more  usual.  They  were  also  executed  in 
plaster  with  mouldings  of  plaster  or  compo  or  of  wood 
applied  to  the  plaster  background.  Small  ornaments 
of  more  or  less  intricate  character  in  themselves  were 
sometimes  moulded  in  carton  pierre  or  in  compo  and 
then  applied. 

The  plain  walls  might  be  covered  with  wall-paper 
or  with  fabrics  strained  over  their  surface.  For  this 
purpose  brocades,  silks,  reps,  poplins,  printed  linens, 
chintzes  and  other  appropriate  fabrics  were  employed. 
Wall-paper,  up  to  the  latter  part  of  the  century,  was 
printed  with  hand-blocks  upon  sheets  about  three  feet 
long  by  a  little  more  than  a  foot  wide.  About  1790  it 
began  to  be  made  in  rolls. 

It  was  customary  to  divide  the  walls  horizontally 
by  a  dado  about  two  and  three-quarters  feet  to  three 
feet  high  (Plates  46,  47  B,  48  and  49).  This  relieved 
what  might  otherwise  sometimes  have  seemed  too 
strong  an  emphasis  of  verticality,  especially  in  the  case 
of  panelled  walls  where  a  number  of  the  panels  were 


PLATE  43 


CHARACTERISTIC  ROCOCO  DECORATIVE  MOTIFS  FROM  PANELLING 

1.   Rococo  Pierced  Shell  Motif.     2,  3,  5  and  6.   Panel  Head  Details.    4  and  8.  Sections  of 

Characteristically  Diapered  Ground.     7.  Section  of  Motif  from  Panel  Base 


PLATE  44 


PLATE  45 


CHARACTERISTIC  NEO-CLASSIC  PANELLING  MOTIFS 

1.  Full  Section  Louis  XVI  Cupboard  Panelling.    2.  Section  of  Overmantel  Detail.    3.  LouwXVI 

Panel  Corner  Detail 


PLATE    46 


BOUDOIR,  H6TEL  DE  LAFAYETTE,  PARIS.    STYLE  LOUIS  XVI 

From  "Les  Vieux  de  Hotels  de  Paris,"  F.  Contet 

Courtesy  of  William  Helburn,  Inc. 


FRANCE  151 

tall  and  narrow.  It  likewise  added  an  architectural 
note  to  the  composition.  Niches  for  sculpture,  for 
urns  and  for  large  porcelain  vases  were  now  and  then 
introduced  into  the  walls  of  large  rooms  where  such 
features  of  decoration  were  becoming. 

Panels  were  large  and  vertically  oblong  and  varied 
in  width.  One  very  common  treatment  was  to  alternate 
broad  and  narrow  panels  (Plate  47  B),  and  this  alter- 
nation of  panel  widths,  corresponding  with  the  widths 
above,  was  often  continued  in  the  dado  or  immediately 
below  the  chair  rail.  The  panels  were  regular  in  shape 
with  straight  sides,  tops  and  bottoms,  and  all  orna- 
ment was  strictly  confined  within  the  limits  imposed 
by  the  frames  of  moulding.  Furthermore,  the  panels 
were  either  entirely  rectangular  or  else  relieved  at  the 
corners  by  square  re-entrant  angles,  as  previously 
mentioned,  rosettes  or  some  similar  small  device  be- 
ing introduced  to  fill  out  the  vacancy  thus  created. 

Colour  was  quite  as  important  a  factor  in  Louis 
Seize  interiors  as  it  had  been  in  those  of  the  preceding 
mode,  although  the  schemes  were  somewhat  differently 
managed.  The  prevailing  colours  were  cool  and  gen- 
erally receding  in  character  and  soft  in  tone.  White 
and  gold  figured  to  some  extent,  but  more  character- 
istic of  the  spirit  of  the  period  were  silver  rose,  pearly 
grey,  tender  blues  and  pale  greens  and  putty  colour. 
The  colours  just  mentioned,  of  course,  were  chiefly 
employed  for  backgrounds  and  served  as  foils  for  the 
decorations  subsequently  painted  thereon  and  the  other 
items  entering  into  the  furnishing  schemes. 

During  the  preceding  epoch  mirrors  had  proved  too 
valuable  a  decorative  accessory  to  be  dispensed  with 
and  they  continued  in  high  favour  for  the  spaces -over 
mantels  and  likewise  for  insertion  in  panels  (Plates 
46  and  48)  at  other  appropriate  positions  in  rooms, 


152  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

although,  in  this  latter  capacity,  they  were  not,  per- 
haps, utilised  to  such  an  extent  as  they  had  been  during 
the  Louis  Quinze  period.  Decorative  landscapes 
(Plates  46  and  47  B)  and  other  decorative  subjects  on 
large  canvasses  were  to  a  certain  degree  employed  as 
panel  embellishments,  but  the  favourite  devices  for 
ornamentation  were  arabesques,  classical  subjects  in- 
troduced in  the  form  of  medallions  or  tablets,  group- 
ings of  trophies  or  attributes,  enriched  or  decorative 
bands,  and  floral  compositions  in  the  shape  of  pendants, 
swags,  garlands,  interlaced  wreathings  and  borders 
(Plates  47  B,  48  and  49).  The  disposition  of  all  orna- 
ment was  well-ordered  and  logical  and  the  composi- 
tions were  always  confined  within  geometrically  regular 
boundaries. 

Decorative  paintings  that  filled  whole  panels  were 
chiefly  of  two  sorts,  landscapes  and  architectural  sub- 
jects in  the  eighteenth  century  Italian  manner,  which 
were  also  largely  employed  at  the  same  time  in  Eng- 
land under  the  Adam  influence,  or  else  paintings 
apotheosising  rustic  life,  these  latter  inspired  by  the 
influence  of  Jean  Jacques  Rousseau.  In  some  cases, 
whole  panels,  usually  of  small  dimension,  were  filled 
with  classic  subjects  executed  in  monochrome. 

It  was  more  customary,  however,  to  use  the  classic 
figure  motifs  in  the  smaller  form  of  medallions, 
plaques  and  tablets,  wrought  in  the  fashion  of  cameos, 
which  made  integral  parts  of  arabesque  compositions, 
or  else  executed  as  low  reliefs  on  plaster  walls.  Ara- 
besques were  commonly  of  the  Pompeiian  type  or  pat- 
terned after  those  of  the  Vatican  Loggie.  They  were 
quite  as  delicate  in  execution  and  as  full  of  imagination 
as  were  those  of  the  preceding  period,  but  more  re- 
strained and  occasionally  less  vigorous,  and  they  were 
decidedly  lighter  in  scale  than  those  of  the  Louis 


PLATE  47 


A.  SALON,  HOTEL  GOUFFIER  DE  THOIX,  PARIS.   STYLE  LOUIS  XV  (ROCOCO) 

From  "Les  Vieux  Hdtels  de  Paris."  F.  Contet 

Courtesy  of  William  Helburn,  Inc. 


B.  SALON,  H6TEL  BAUDART  DE  ST.  JAMES,  PARIS.     STYLE  LOUIS  XVI 

From  "Les  Vieux  Hotels  de  Paris,"  F.  Contet 

Courtesy  of  William  Helburn,  Inc. 


PLATE  48 


A.  SALON,  H6TEL  DU  CHATELET,  PARIS.    STYLE  LOUIS  XVI 

From  "Les  Vieux  Hotels  de  Paris,"  F.  Contet 

Courtesy  of  William  Helburn,  Inc. 


B.  SALON,  H6TEL  DU  CHATELET,  PARIS.    STYLE  LOUIS  XVI 

From  "Les  Vieux  Hotels  de  Paris,"  F.  Contet 

Courtesy  of  William  Helburn,  Inc. 


PLATE  49 


FRANCE  153 

Treize  or  Louis  Quatorze  styles.  The  groupings  of 
trophies  or  attributes  included  a  diversity  of  subjects, 
but  there  seems  to  have  been  a  special  predilection  for 
musical  emblems,  rustic  motifs,  such  as  wheat  sheaves, 
bundles  and  baskets  of  vegetables  or  fruits  (Plate 
48  A),  agricultural  or  horticulural  hand  implements, 
hay-makers'  hats  and  beehives,  or  distinctly  ''senti- 
mental emblems,  such  as  burning  torches,  quivers, 
pierced  hearts,  and  billing  doves."  The  floral  and  foli- 
ated treatments  occurred  as  pendants  falling  nearly 
the  full  length  of  a  panel,  as  swags  and  garlands;  as 
pairs  of  light  and  long  sprays  of  such  small-leaved 
plants  as  myrtle  or  ivy  or  jasmine,  "interlaced  to  form 
a  series  of  vesica  shapes,  or  else  with  a  series  of  tassel- 
like  knots  of  foliage  or  bell-flowers  issuing  one  from 
the  other" ;  or  as  loose  bands  of  bordering.  The  flowers 
and  blossoms  themselves — roses,  marigolds,  daisies, 
anemones,  forget-me-nots,  bell  flowers,  and  many  more 
— were  almost  invariably  small  in  size  and  dainty  in 
execution. 

Besides  the  motifs  and  classes  of  motifs  just  enu- 
merated, ribbons  played  an  important  part  in  much  of 
the  painted  and  modelled  decoration  of  the  period  and 
were  closely  associated  with  flowers  and  foliage.  They 
were  generally  closely  pleated  throughout  their 
length  and,  as  well  as  appearing  in  bow  knots  and 
wreaths,  were  used  in  the  foliage  banding  of  panels 
or  for  spiral  coilings  or  intertwinings  round  staves  or 
mouldings.  Swags  and  drops  (Plate  45,  Fig.  1)  of  im- 
bricated leafage  of  bay,  olive  and  myrtle  appeared  in 
carved,  moulded  and  painted  expression.  Drapery  fes- 
toons sometimes  took  the  place  of  foliated  and  floral 
swags.  Among  the  purely  naturalistic  items  must  also 
be  mentioned  birds,  insects,  and  single  knots  of  fruit, 
foliage  and  flowers.  Diapers  or  chequerings  were 


154  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

retained  for  occasional  background  enrichment.  The 
honeysuckle  pattern  was  much  in  evidence  as  were  also 
urns  and  vases,  successions  of  Vitruvian  scrolls  in  the 
"wave"  motif — "postes,"  as  the  French  call  them — 
many  kinds  of  guilloche  (Plate  45,  Fig.  1)  or  meander, 
paterae,  rosettes  and  sundry  other  small  classic  archi- 
tectural motifs,  besides  the  usual  stock  complement  of 
tripods,  sphinxes  and  lyres.  In  the  depiction  of  human 
figures,  classic  apparel  rather  than  modern  was  to 
be  seen. 

Sconces,  which  were  extensively  employed,  were  of 
brass,  of  carved  and  gilt  wood,  of  compo  painted  and 
gilt,  and  of  crystal.  In  design,  rectilinear  feeling  was 
dominant  and  in  their  general  purity  of  motif  and  re- 
straint of  treatment  they  fully  conformed  to  the  pre- 
vailing spirit  of  the  style.  The  same  observations 
apply  to  chandeliers  anent  which  it  is  merely  necessary 
to  add  that  crystal  was  peculiarly  in  favour  owing*  to 
brilliance  and  the  manifold  reflections. 

Fireplaces  remained  low  (Plates  46,  48  and  49)  and 
there  were  no  "continued  chimney-pieces,"  the  over- 
mantel space  (Plate  45,  Fig.  2)  being  customarily  filled 
by  a  large  mirror  (Plates  46,  48  and  49).  If  the  ceiling 
was  very  high,  a  decorative  panel  might  be  included  in 
the  space  between  the  head  of  the  mirror  and  the  cor- 
nice. Mantel  shelves  were  low  and,  in  the  design  and 
structure  of  the  whole  mantel  composition,  right  angles, 
straight  lines  and  parallel  sides  took  the  place  of  the 
flowing  curves  that  had  previously  been  in  vogue.  The 
depth  and  breadth  of  the  fireplace  itself  were  somewhat 
decreased  by  placing  decorative  metal  side  and  back 
plates  within  the  wood  or  marble  trim.  Mantels  were 
made  of  carved  and  painted  wood,  of  carved  stone,  or 
of  carved  and  sometimes  inlaid  marble.  The  frieze 


FRANCE  155 

beneath  the  shelf  was  supported  on  scrolled  consoles  or 
brackets  or  else  upon  termes  or  term-like  columns. 

Ceilings  were  much  less  frequently  coved  than  for- 
merly and  were  quite  commonly  flat,  an  occasional 
exception  being  made  for  flat  elliptical  vaulting.  Un- 
broken cornices  with  strong  horizontal  accent  mark 
(Plates  46,  47  B,  48  and  49)  the  boundary  between 
walls  and  ceiling  and  are  distinctly  architectural  in  the 
character  of  their  members.  Not  a  few  of  the  ceilings 
were  quite  plain,  while  others  were  enriched  with  for- 
mal plaster  mouldings,  bands  of  imbricated  foliage  and 
other  devices  that  conformed  with  the  generally  classic 
architectural  tone  of  composition.  The  mouldings  and 
foliated  bands  often  divided  the  ceiling  into  symmetri- 
cally panelled  spaces.  These  plaster  decorations, 
standing  forth  in  relief,  were  frequently  coloured  and 
parcel  gilt.  In  the  more  elaborate  ceilings,  the  flat 
surfaces  were  not  seldom  frescoed  or  else  embellished 
with  classic  motifs  in  low  relief  which  were  intensified 
with  subdued  colour.  The  frieze  of  the  cornice  might 
be  filled  with  motifs  of  purely  architectural  derivation 
or  else  with  swags,  festoons,  wreaths  and  other  items 
of  semi-architectural  or  of  conventionalised  natural- 
istic origin.  These  latter  might  be  in  moulded  relief 
and  coloured  or  gilt  or  they  might  be  wholly  painted  on 
a  flat  surface. 

Floors  were  usually  of  wood  and  it  was  customary 
to  enhance  the  entire  decorative  ensemble  of  the  room 
by  introducing  geometrical  patterns  parquetted  (Plate 
49)  in  several  woods  of  different  contrasting  colours. 
Marble  and  marble-tiled  floors  were  also  occasionally 
used  in  the  larger  and  more  formal  rooms. 

The  Directoire  mode  embodied  an  ideal  altogether 
different  from  that  which  had  actuated  the  architec- 
tural and  decorative  practice  of  the  Louis  Seize  period. 


156  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

In  Louis  Seize  manifestations,  French  individuality 
and  the  fecund  spirit  of  the  time,  although  deriving  the 
major  part  of  their  inspiration  from  classic  antiquity 
and  incorporating  pure  classic  forms  into  current  com- 
position, nevertheless  added  thereto  an.  abundant  body 
of  graceful  and  often  playful  amenities  of  detail  of 
modern  and  local  devising.  Adaptations,  likewise, 
were  freely  made,  but  always  in  a  spirit  consistent  and 
harmonious  with  the  underlying  classic  ideals.  These 
additions  and  adaptations  were  responsible  for  the 
piquancy  and  blithesome  vitality  of  the  "  Style  Louis 
Seize." 

The  Directoire  mode  was  a  deliberate  and  inten- 
tional piece  (Plate  50)  of  decorative  archaeology. 
From  the  classic  body  it  remorselessly  sheared  off  all 
the  accretions  of  blithesome  grace  and  vivifying  inven- 
tion which  the  Louis  Seize  designers  and  craftsmen 
had  imparted  to  their  handiwork  and  confined  itself  to 
a  rigidly  literal  reproduction  of  antique  practice.  It 
was  Louis  Seize  stripped  naked  and  reduced  to.  the  low- 
est terms.  Nay  more,  whenever  opportunity  permit- 
ted, not  satisfied  with  meticulous  adherence  to  the 
spirit  of  a  long  dead  and  gone  past,  its  interpreters 
strove  with  all  their  might  and  main  to  reproduce 
"particular  monuments  or  as  large  portions  of  them  as 
could  by  any  possible  means  be  made  to  accord  with 
modern  requirements."  "Thus  the  letter  took  prece- 
dence over  the  spirit  with  the  usual  unsatifactory  re- 
sults and,  while  the  details  and  composition  of  antiquity 
were  more  accurately  copied,  they  were  used  to  less 
purpose."  Such  forms  of  ornament  as  were  retained 
in  the  new  system  had  the  specific  sanction  of  exact  his- 
toric prototypes.  The  process  of  elimination  and  re- 
straint produced  a  fashion  in  many  respects  altogether 
admirable. 


FRANCE  157 

The  Directoire  style  at  its  best  excels  in  chaste  sim- 
plicity and  grace  and  possesses  a  very  distinct  charm 
worthy  of  sincere  emulation  (Plate  51).  The  weak 
point  about  it  all,  and  the  feature  open  to  unfavourable 
criticism,  was  the  narrow  conception  of  its  originators 
and  fautors,  a  conception  that  absolutely  limited  it 
within  the  straitest  bounds,  stifled  imagination,  ar- 
rested legitimate  growth  and  forbade  development,  a 
conception,  indeed,  that  effectually  suppressed  real 
creative  instinct  and  deprived  it  of  the  vitality  neces- 
sary to  endurance  and  perpetuation,  a  conception,  in 
short,  that  embalmed  the  style  and  insisted  upon  put- 
ting it  on  exhibition  instead  of  using  it. 

It  was  well  enough  for  the  people  of  the  time,  if 
it  pleased  their  fancy,  to  conceive  that  "the  ancient 
republics  enjoyed  a  regime  of  pure  democracy  and  indi- 
vidual liberty,  and  that  their  citizens  were  models  of 
all  the  austere  and  simple  virtues " ;  it  was  well  enough, 
too,  for  them  to  light  their  rooms  with  Pompeian  can- 
delabra, to  place  Etruscan  vases  on  their  chimney- 
pieces,  and  "to  breakfast  at  tripods,  seated  on  curule 
chairs,"  but  to  insist  upon  these  domestic  equipments 
and  these  only,  to  the  exclusion  of  all  else,  was  an  atti- 
tude that  did  not  conduce  to  wholesome  growth  and  a 
logical  interpretation  of  precedents  to  meet  the  living 
needs  of  the  day.  In  other  words,  the  ultra  purist  pro- 
moters and  adherents  of  the  Directoire  style  seem  to 
have  esteemed  its  real  elegance  and  graceful  beauty  less 
than  its  symbolism  of  a  social  condition  which,  to  them, 
it  seemed  to  embody.  They  made  it  an  empty  simulac- 
rum of  their  political  aspirations.  They  shut  their 
eyes  to  its  real  value  and  meaning  as  an  expression  of 
art  and  reduced  it  to  the  level  of  a  fad.  Under  the  cir- 
cumstances, it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  it  was  soon 
strangled  and  obliged  to  give  way  before  the  more 


158  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

robustly  insistent  Empire  mode  which  was  shortly  to 
follow  it. 

It  goes  without  saying  that  the  rooms  were  entirely 
symmetrical  in  their  dimensions  and  regular  in  the 
disposition  of  their  openings  when  there  was  every- 
where such  zeal  for  exact  archaeology.  Window  and 
door  trims  were  much  simplified  and  were  often  bereft 
of  their  former  architectural  features.  Indeed,  the 
openings  for  doors  frequently  had  no  architraves,  col- 
umns nor  pilasters,  and  when  columns  or  pilasters  were 
used,  they  had  no  bases.  There  was  a  mere  apology  for 
capitals,  and  pillars  very  often  carried  only  lintels  and 
not  entablatures.  Windows  were  divided  into  fewer 
and  larger  panes  and  the  panes  were  set  in  narrower 
muntins.  In  some  cases  windows  had  semicircular, 
instead  of  square  heads,  and  also  a  few  window  open- 
ings were  semicircular  or  lunette  shaped.  The  panels 
of  doors  were  shallower  and  the  surrounding  mouldings 
flatter.  In  shape  the  panels  were  horizontally  rectangu- 
lar and  of  fairly  small  size,  or  else  of  lozenge  shape  and 
large.  The  taste  for  lozenge-shaped  panels  seems  to 
have  been  akin  to  the  fancy  for  intersecting  diagonals 
wherever  they  could  be  introduced  in  balconies  or 
lattices. 

The  time-honoured  custom  of  panelling  walls  was 
in  many  cases  represented  by  painting  on  a  flat  plaster 
ground  (Plate  51),  the  decorating  being  done  in  the 
Pompeian  style,  long,  narrow  panels  alternating  with 
broader  divisions.  Again,  panels  or  divisions  approxi- 
mating panels  would  be  filled  with  strained  fabric— 
the  toile  de  Jouy  linen  with  its  classic  motifs,  elongated 
octagons,  ovals,  circles,  cameo  designs  and  lyres,  all 
connected  by  a  series  of  arabesques,  or  else  a  linen 
printed  in  some  restrained  and  small-sized  Chinese 
motif.  An  even  more  characteristic  treatment  was  to 


PLATE  50 


DINING  ROOM,  H6TEL  CHANAC  DE  POMPADOUR.  PARIS 

DIRECTOIRE  INFLUENCE  MERGING  INTO  EMPIRE 

From  "Les  Vieux  H6tels  de  Paris,"  F.  Contet 

Courtesy  of  William  Helburn,  Inc. 


PLATE  51 


A    SALON,  H6TEL  DE  GRAMMONT,  PARIS.     STYLE  LOUIS  XVI— DIRECTOIRE 

FURNITURE  EMPIRE 

From  "  Les  Vieux  de  Hotels  de  Paris,"  F.  Contet 
Courtesy  of  William  Helburn,  Inc. 


B.  SALON,  H6TEL  DE  MAILLY,  PARIS.     STYLE  EMPIRE 

From  "Les  Vieux  Hotels  de  Paris,"  F.  Contet 

Courtesy  of  William  Helburn,  Inc. 


FRANCE  159 

apply  paper  in  panel  forms,  using  for  this  purpose  the 
hand-blocked  designs  of  classic  subjects  in  large  size, 
done  in  monochrome  from  cartoons  prepared  by  David. 
These  were  exceedingly  beautiful  and  dignified  and 
within  the  past  few  years  the  present  owners  of  the 
blocks  have  again  begun  to  make  impressions  from 
them,  which  are  not  at  all  prohibitive  in  price.  Then, 
again,  plain  walls  were  often  covered  with  simple  paper 
of  small  design  or  with  landscape  paper  in  monochrome 
or  in  subdued  tones.  When  walls  had  a  plain  papered 
or  painted  surface  it  was  not  at  all  unusual  to  intro- 
duce a  deep  frieze  below  the  cornice  and  to  dispense,  on 
the  other  hand,  with  the  dado,  there  being  nothing  but 
a  low  washboard  at  the  base  of  the  walls. 

Mantels  of  marble,  stone  or  wood,  were  low  and 
severe  in  line  (Plate  50) ;  there  was  a  straight  lintel, 
and  the  shelf  was  supported  on  simple  round  columns, 
on  elongated  scroll  brackets  or  upon  caryatid  figures 
(Plate  51).  There  was  no  set  overmantel  decoration, 
but  a  large  mirror  or  painting  usually  occupied  the 
space. 

Ceilings  were  flat,  separated  from  the  wall  by  a  re- 
strained cornice,  and  they  usually  carried  some  moulded 
geometrical  or  severely  classical  plaster  decoration 
around  the  edges  and,  perhaps,  in  the  centre ;  or  else  the 
ceilings  were  concaved  to  a  flattened  arc  or  formed  into 
a  barrel  vault.  These  latter  ceilings  might  be  frescoed, 
or,  when  the  arc  was  flat  enough  to  make  the  treatment 
effective,  they  might  be  embellished  with  plasterwork 
squares,  octagons,  circles  and  hexagons  enclosing 
classic  figures,  the  whole  scheme  being  wrought  in  very 
flat  relief.  Floors  were  of  marble  tiling  or  of  wood,  in 
the  latter  case  frequently  parquetted  in  geometrical 
devices. 

The  key  to  the  genius  of  the  fully  developed  Empire 


160  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

style  is  found  in  two  factors,  one  political,  the  other 
social.  The  first  was  the  emphasis  intentionally  Laid 
upon  every  element  that  savoured  of  militaristic  pomp 
and  imperial  display;  the  second  was  the  ascendancy 
of  a  ruling  class  composed  in  the  main  of  parvenus, 
who,  * '  after  their  kind,  liked  pretentious  display,  and 
were  not  restrained,  as  the  old  aristocracy  had  been,  by 
hereditary  culture  and  a  mode  of  life  which  amounted 
to  a  continual  training  in  elegance  and  good  taste,"  a 
condition  that  resulted  in  a  '  *  coarsening  in  tone  of  the 
work  carried  out  for  them. ' ' 

The  better  examples  of  the  Empire  style  were  of 
two  sorts,  the  elaborate  kind  that  was  executed  with 
punctilious  regard  for  a  certain  type  of  classic  prece- 
dent and  was  both  inspired  by  ideals  of  the  utmost 
magnificence  and  supplied  with  means  to  realise  the 
ideals  with  thorough  elegance ;  and,  on  the  other  hand, 
the  simpler  sort  of  Empire  work  that  exhibited  a  de- 
corous reticence  in  the  use  of  the  current  motif  and 
materials.  The  less  desirable  examples,  which  unfor- 
tunately predominated  numerically,  were  characterised 
by  thorough-going  ostentation  and  bombast. 

Symmetry  was  one  of  the  prime  requirements  and 
all  openings  were  regularly  disposed.  Window  and 
door  openings  were  usually  square-headed  or  round- 
arched.  Trims  were  broad  and  of  flat  profile.  Door- 
heads  had  straight,  flat  lintels,  sometimes  in  the  form  of 
a  very  much  simplified  cornice  supported  on  modillion 
brackets.  Door  and  shutter  panels  were  large,  rec- 
tangular and  flat,  with  flat  moulding  profiles. 

Walls  were  almost  invariably  plain.  The  more  ele- 
gant walls  were  covered  with  strained  fabrics  or  fres- 
coed ;  the  simpler  walls  were  painted  or  papered.  The 
dado  dropped  out  of  fashion  and  the  frieze  became 
general. 


FRANCE  161 

Fireplaces  were  low  and  without  fixed  chimney- 
piece  decoration,  and  the  space  between  mantel  shelf 
and  ceiling  was  usually  occupied  by  a  mirror  of  corre- 
sponding breadth.  A  straight  lintel,  often  without  any 
decoration,  topped  the  fireplace  opening  and  the  mantel 
shelf  was  supported  by  plain  round  columns  or  by 
caryatid  figures. 

The  high  ceilings  were  flat,  the  cornices  were 
modest,  and  the  moulded  plaster  ornament  around  the 
edges  and  in  the  centre  was  in  geometrical  or  heavy 
classic  motifs.  Floors  were  of  wood,  plain  or  par- 
quetted,  and,  in  halls  and  some  of  the  more  sumptuous 
rooms,  of  marble  tiles. 

Furniture  and  Decorations. — Both  wall  and  seat- 
ing furniture,  at  the  beginning  of  the  reign  of 
Louis  XV,  was  more  abundant  and  varied  than  had 
been  the  case  during  the  preceding  reign.  It  was  a 
period  of  polished  manners  and  luxurious  habits,  and 
once  the  restraint  of  Louis  XIV  formality  was  removed 
and  the  door  opened  to  greater  freedom  of  social  habits, 
mobiliary  art  was  quick  to  reflect  the  change  in  the  in- 
creased number  of  intimate,  domestic  and  luxurious 
forms  introduced. 

Louis  Quinze  furniture  faithfully  mirrored  the  domi- 
nant traits  of  contemporary  fixed  decoration  as  noted 
earlier  in  this  chapter.  The  curving  line  was  supreme. 
Nearly  all  furniture  dimensions  were  smaller  and 
lighter  in  line,  a  change  indicative  of  the  abandonment 
of  pompous,  stately  forms  in  favour  of  greater  conve- 
nience and  bodily  comfort. 

While  all  the  usual  types  of  bedsteads,  cupboards, 
or  armoires,  tables  and  seating  furniture  were  fully  in 
use,  there  was  an  appreciable  increase  in  the  number 
of  forms  and  refinements  introduced  in  writing  furni- 
ture and  in  console  cabinets  or  commodes.  These  latter 
11 


162  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

were  used  upon  every  conceivable  occasion  and  in  every 
conceivable  place.  Besides  these,  there  were  contrived 
numerous  small  stands,  tables'  and  cupboards  to  meet 
specialised  demands. 

While  walnut  was  the  staple  wood,  all  sorts  of  rare 
and  highly  coloured  woods  were  freely  employed  for 
veneer,  inlay  and  marqueterie.  Much  of  the  furniture, 
also,  was  painted,  painted  and  parcel  gilt,  or  lacquered. 
The  colours  used  were  generally  light.  When  it  was 
possible  to  introduce  panels  painted  with  arabesques, 
pastorals,  singeries  or  Chinoiseries,  it  was  done.  To 
add  to  the  mobiliary  grace  and  elaboration,  ormulu 
mounts  were  lavishly  employed  on  cabinet-work. 

With  the  neo-Classic  period,  returned  the  domi- 
nance of  rectilinear  emphasis  in  furniture.  The 
cabriole  leg  made  place  for  the  straight  fluted  and 
tapered  leg;  the  bombe-f routed  console  cabinet  with  its 
swelling,  undulating  contours,  yielded  to  a  successor 
whose  right-angled  restraint  of  line  was  in  sharp  con- 
trast. The  kinds  of  articles  and  the  amount  of  furni- 
ture used  did  not  appreciably  change;  the  difference 
was  wholly  in  contours  and  motifs  of  decoration.  Light 
colours  in  painted,  painted  and  parcel  gilt,  or  lacquered 
furniture  continued  in  favour,  as  did  also  the  great 
variety  of  multicoloured  woods  for  veneer,  inlay  and 
marqueterie.  Likewise  continued  the  fashion  of  nu- 
merous metal  mounts  for  cabinet-work,  the  design,  how- 
ever, being  altered  to  suit  the  revived  classical  spirit. 

Directoire  movable  furniture,  like  Directoire  fixed 
decoration,  was  virtually  a  reduction  of  the  corre- 
sponding Louis  Seize  elements  to  their  lowest  terms. 
The  Empire  style,  while  retaining  a  good  deal  of  rec- 
tilinear severity,  nevertheless,  occasionally  flourished 
out  into  flamboyant  and  grandiose  contours,  especially 
where  seating  furniture,  bedsteads  and,  to  some  extent, 


FRANCE  163 

tables,  were  concerned.  During  the  Empire  phase  of 
the  neo-Classic  style,  while  painting  and  parcel-gilding 
of  furniture  continued  to  a  limited  degree,  the  favourite 
material  was  mahogany,  which  made  an  admirable  foil 
for  the  elaborate  filigree  and  embossed  ornamental 
applique  which  enjoyed  such  vogue.  Empire  contours 
were  almost  invariably  substantial  and  robust,  and,  at 
times,  became  even  gross  and  clumsy. 

Other  Decorative  Accessories  and  Movable  Dec- 
orations.— During  the  dominance  of  the  Rococo  style, 
tapestries  of  the  old  pattern  continued  in  use  to  some 
extent  where  large,  formal  rooms  or  galleries  left  a 
place  for  them.  Other  accessories,  however,  had 
usurped  most  of  their  function.  Hangings  at  doors  and 
windows  were  made  of  silks,  taffetas,  brocades,  dam- 
asks, velvets  and  printed  linens,  light  colours  and 
dainty  patterns  being  most  in  favour.  Door  and 
window  heads  were  very  commonly  adorned  with 
shaped  valances  or  loopings,  and  the  hangings  were 
frequently  draped  back.  Pictures  for  the  walls  of 
many  of  the  rooms  were  not  at  a  premium  (v.  para- 
graph on  the  use  of  mirrors).  Porcelains,  both  Orien- 
tal and  of  Western  fabrication,  were  in  great  demand, 
and,  along  with  pieces  of  bronze  or  marble  sculpture, 
were  introduced  with  great  frequency.  Many  of  the 
Oriental  porcelains,  such,  for  instance,  as  some  of  the 
finer  Chinese  ginger  jars,  were  carefully  set  with 
ornate  ormolu  mounts. 

Chandeliers  of  crystal,  brass,  or  of  ormolu,  depended 
from  the  centres  of  ceilings  in  the  more  elegant  and 
important  rooms.  Sconces  of  chiselled  ormolu,  in 
graceful,  flowing  designs,  were  hung  in  symmetrical 
positions  on  the  panelled  walls.  Candelabra  were 
designed  to  accord  with  them. 

During  the  period  of  neo-Classic  influence,  while 


164  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

the  love  for  the  old  tapestries  never  quite  died  out, 
there  was  a  perceptible  turning  toward  the  newer 
Aubusson  tapestries  of  paler,  lighter  hue  and  more 
blithesome  pattern  for  such  wall  surfaces  as  required 
a  large  hanging.  Door  and  window  hangings  were  of 
practically  the  same  fabrics  as  noted  for  the  Rococo 
period.  Light  colours  and  dainty  patterns  also  re- 
mained in  favour,  with  the  addition  of  a  well-defined 
vogue  for  stripes.  At  door  and  window  heads  there 
were  both  straight  and  shaped  valances,  and  likewise 
looped  draping  or  else  shirred  ray-like  folds  centring 
in  a  button,  the  two  latter  treatments  being  suitable 
for  round-arched  windows.  Valance  mouldings  or 
boxes  were  likewise  in  use  and  added  a  distinct  note 
to  the  composition.  In  accordance  with  the  prevalent 
rectilinear  emphasis,  door  and  window  hangings  gen- 
erally fell  in  straight  folds. 

Pictures  regained  the  position  from  which  they  had 
been  temporarily  ousted  during  the  most  mirror-loving 
days  of  the  Rococo  period.  The  disposition  of  rooms 
was  not  less  symmetrical  or  ordered  nor  was  the  exten- 
sive use  of  mirrors  discontinued,  but  it  became  the 
fashion  either  to  hang  pictures  within  panels  that  ac- 
corded with  their  dimensions  or  to  remove  them  from 
their  frames  and  empanel  them.  Porcelains  and  other 
objects  of  vertu,  whether  Oriental  or  Occidental,  found 
abundant  appreciation  and  were  freely  employed.  In 
addition  to  the  taste  for  Oriental  forms  and  European 
fashions  of  recent  date  in  ceramics,  there  was  keen 
interest  in  revived  classic  forms  in  pottery  and  por- 
celain. At  the  same  time,  with  the  re-awakened  classic 
sense,  bronze  and  marble  sculpture  enjoyed  increased 
favour.  What  was  said  of  lighting  appliances  for  the 
foregoing  period  applies  with  equal  force  for  the  neo- 


FRANCE  165 

Classic,  the  only  significant  difference  being  the  sub- 
stitution of  Classic  for  the  Rococo  design. 

Tapestries  in  the  Empire  period  were  distinctly  out 
of  place.  They  were  tolerated  where  they  had  to  be 
retained,  but  their  presence  was  not  sought  as  a  factor 
in  decorative  schemes.  Hangings  of  silk,  satin,  bro- 
cade or  velvet  were  voluminous  and  impressive  by  their 
ample  folds  and  by  their  shaped  valances  and  cornice 
mouldings  or  by  their  intricate  loopings  at  window 
heads.  Pictures  had  more  leeway  in  decorative  prac- 
tice, as  many  of  the  wall  surfaces  were  unbroken  by 
panel  boundaries.  Porcelains  and  sculpture  were 
popular  in  their  imposing  and  heroic  dimensions,  and 
where  they  aided  vigorous  contrasts  of  strong  colour. 
To  chandeliers,  sconces  and  candelabra,  many  of  which 
were  of  exceedingly  beautiful  design  and  workman- 
ship, in  glass,  marble,  crystal,  brass,  bronze  and 
ormolu,  must  be  added  the  lamps  for  mantel  garniture, 
usually  of  bronze,  with  etched  or  cut-glass  globes  and 
pendent  prisms.  The  fire  iron  and  hearth  accessories 
of  the  period  also  aided  the  ensemble  with  their 
polished  brass  fittings. 

Materials  and  Colour. — The  fabrics  and  other  ma- 
terials in  use  at  the  successive  periods  have  already 
been  more  or  less  fully  noted.  To  what  has  been  said 
it  is  only  necessary  to  add  that  during  the  Rococo  and 
neo-Classic  periods  a  great  use  was  made  of  Aubusson 
tapestry  for  furniture  covers  and  that  in  the  Empire 
period  a  great  deal  of  heavy  brocade,  brocatelle,  da- 
mask, velvet  and  rep  was  used  not  only  for  hangings 
but  also  for  wall  coverings,  likewise  that  haircloth, 
figured  and  plain,  began  to  occupy  an  appreciable  space 
in  upholstery  calculations.  Throughout  both  the  Louis 
Quinze  and  Louis  Seize  styles  there  was  a  marked 
preference  for  cheerful  and  light  colourings,  whether 


166  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

in  woodwork,  furniture  or  fabrics.  At  the  same  time, 
delicacy  of  pattern  was  a  sine  qua  non.  These  character- 
istics were  well  exemplified  in  the  Aubusson  and  Savon- 
nerie  rugs  and  carpets  so  much  used  at  this  date.  During 
the  Directoire  episode,  while  the  colouring  occasionally 
became  more  vigorous  in  emulation  of  Pompeian  pre- 
cedent, the  design  was  so  restrained  and  shapely  that 
there  was  no  oppressive  impression  of  heaviness. 
With  the  full  blossoming  of  the  Empire  style,  the  whole 
colour  preference  changed.  Strong  and  heavy  reds, 
greens,  purples,  yellows  and  other  vigorous  hues  in  raw 
and  often  combative  tones  came  into  high  favour  and 
the  patterns  reflected  the  militaristic  and  imperial  tone 
observable  in  all  other  decoration. 

Arrangement. — Throughout  the  Kococo  and  neo- 
Classic  periods  a  balanced,  orderly  and  symmetrical 
disposition  of  furnishings  and  decorations  was  con- 
sidered indispensable  to  a  well-appointed  interior. 
The  modes  might  change,  but  the  conception  of  order 
remained  unaltered. 


CHAPTER  IX 

NINETEENTH  CENTURY  EPISODES  AND 
AFTER 

/NTRODUCTION.— -Howsoever  wonderful  the 
nineteenth  century  may  have  been  as  an  era  of 
phenomenal  material  progress  and  of  unprece- 
dented mechanical,  engineering  and  scientific  achieve- 
ment, it  was  distinctly  not  a  period  kindly  to  architec- 
ture or  to  any  of  the  allied  arts,  and  the  art  of  interior 
decoration  fared  worse,  if  such  a  thing  were  possible, 
than  any  of  the  others.  After  about  1830  architecture, 
furniture  design  and  the  practice  of  decorative  furnish- 
ing slumped  into  a  dismal  vale  of  barrenness  or  of 
•revolting  vulgarities  and  simpering  inanities ;  a  deplor- 
able state  with  almost  no  bright  spots  at  all  to  relieve 
the  artificiality,  dreariness  and  stupidity.  From  the  day 
of  the  so-called  "carpenters'  Classic"  style  in  domestic 
architecture  and  the  synchronous  gobby,  clumsy  and 
tumid  mahogany-veneered  travesties  upon  the  Empire 
style  in  furniture,  both  of  which  spread  over  the  United 
States  about  the  date  above  mentioned,  there  was  a 
dreary  procession  of  one  abnormality  after  another 
until  near  the  very  end  of  the  century — in  architecture, 
the  Gothic  revival  with  its  wooden  crenellations  painted 
and  sanded  to  simulate  stone,  and  jig-saw  tracery  and 
fretwork,  the  mansard  roof  episode  with  its  attendant 
bastard  Rococo  enormities  of  decorative  detail,  the 
still  more  atrocious  whimsicalities  of  the  Centennial 
fashion  with  bird-box  masses  and  details  that  were  a 
most  unhappy  medley  derived  from  Gothic  tracery, 
Moorish  fretwork  and  Hamburg  edging,  and  next  fol- 

167 


168  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

lowing  this  nightmare  the  aberrations  of  the  ' '  dreadful 
80  V;  in  furniture,  the  rosewood  fantasticalities,  the 
black  walnut  perversions  when  designers  so  frequently 
adapted  and  parodied  the  least  inspired  eighteenth 
century  Italian  and  Spanish  precedents — an  exhibition 
not  of  ignorance  but  of  abysmal  bad  taste — the  East- 
lake  trivialities,  the  golden  oak  brutalities  of  unhappy 
memory  and  still  more  unhappy  survivals ;  and,  to  com- 
plete the  tale  of  iniquities,  the  shocking  "art  nouveau" 
demonstrations  of  what  an  utterly  unbalanced  and  de- 
praved, and  we  might  add  starved,  imagination  could 
descend  to.  Even  in  the  last  decade  of  the  nineteenth 
century  and  after  the  beginning  of  the  twentieth,  when 
the  invitable  but  long  delayed  reaction  against  all  the 
preceding  abominations  had  set  in  and  the  trend 
towards  reasonable  taste  and  sane  furnishing  had 
gained  appreciable  impetus,  occasional  discouraging 
reversions  to  mobiliary  imbecility  were  to  be  noted  and, 
along  with  them,  reversions  to  decorative  imbecility 
as  well.  Witness  the  extravagances  and  faddish,  inane 
gaucheries  perpetrated  under  the  inspiration  of  Vien- 
nese influence. 

Bad  as  things  were  in  America,  conditions  were  lit- 
tle if  any  better  in  England  or  on  the  Continent.  As  a 
fit  accompaniment  to  the  ill-shapen  furniture,  the  acme 
of  decorative  effort  in  Great  Britain  seems  to  have 
been  reached  in  a  very  orgy  of  kakochromous  needle- 
work in  Berlin  wool  and  a  dolorous  achievement  of 
dexterity  in  decalcomania  plastering,  to  be  followed 
slightly  later  by  a  succession  of  equally  unedifying 
performances.  Like  absurdities  made  their  appear- 
ance locally  elsewhere.  And  in  all  this  mad  age,  which 
seems  to  have  run  riot  in  a  delirium  of  delight  over  the 
fancied  possibility  of  creating  art  by  purely  mechanical 
processes,  there  was  a  drab,  unmitigated  monotony  of 


NINETEENTH  CENTURY  EPISODES  169 

decorative  horrors  relieved  only  by  such  infrequent 
and  sporadic  episodes  as  the  Biedermeier  period  in 
Bavaria  or  some  of  the  better  efforts  of  William  Mor- 
ris and  his  contemporaries  in  England.  One  of  the 
most  deplorable  and  pathetic  features  of  the  period 
was  the  universal  self-satisfaction  and  the  universal 
striving  to  attain  the  smug  and  genteel — verbum  hor- 
ribile! — result.  There  was  no  lack  of  mental  capacity 
among  decorators  and  designers — would  that  there  had 
been!  The  outcome  might  have  been  less  appallingly 
hideous,  but  the  mental  capacity  was  prostituted  to  the 
pursuit  of  copious  and  banal  activity  wholly  devoid 
of  imagination  and  of  worthy  ideals.  The  minds  of 
those  who  should  have  created  worthy  things  were 
grovelling  in  a  moil  of  the  grossest  mechanical 
materialism. 

Architectural  Background  and  Methods  of  Fixed 
Decoration. — During  the  period  of  '  'carpenters' 
Classic"  ascendancy  there  is  little  that  can  be  said,  in 
a  positive  way,  of  the  architectural  background.  Its 
qualities  were  chiefly  negative.  Apart  from  the  rec- 
tangular door  and  window  openings  with  their  rec- 
tangularly detailed  and  perfunctory  trims  and  rec- 
tangularly detailed,  perfunctory  and  flat  fireplace  sur- 
rounds and  mantels  to  match,  there  was  little  that  could 
be  dignified  by  the  name  of  interior  architecture.  The 
best  that  can  be  said  of  these  items  of  equipment  is  that 
they  were  simple.  The  rooms  were  apt  to  be  lofty  and 
of  fairly  good  proportions  and  the  door  and  window 
openings  were  generous ;  so  that,  despite  the  lack  of  any 
real  spirit  of  inspiration,  there  was  a  certain  amount  of 
dignity  because  there  was  no  great  pretense.  To  be 
sure,  it  was  the  dignity  of  a  large  box,  an  altogether 
passive  and  negative  dignity.  The  soul  of  the  room  was 
often  throttled  by  blocking  up  the  fireplace  and  substi- 


170  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

tuting  an  hot-air  register  to  serve  in  lieu  of  the  living 
fire.  The  walls  were  merely  expanses  of  white  plaster 
above  an  insignificant  baseboard  and  the  cornices, 
while  respectable,  were  neither  impressive  nor  of  any 
positive  decorative  value. 

Succeeding  this  period  of  " carpenters '  Classic" 
dominance,  when  the  woodwork  was  customarily 
painted  an  unobtrusive  white  or  cream  and  the  walls 
were  either  painted  or  else  papered  in  banal  or  even 
worse  than  banal  taste,  came  an  era  of  the  same  barren 
walls  which  offered  an  expansive  opportunity  for  the 
display  of  atrociously  hideous  wall-paper,  soulless 
registers  set  beneath  vulgarly  proportioned  marble 
mantels,  and  pompous,  tumid,  ill-detailed  woodwork 
executed  either  in  expensive  walnut  or  else  fashioned 
from  some  humbler  wood  and  painted  white  or  dirty 
chocolate  brown  or  grained.  The  finishing  touch  to 
this  delectable  interior  would  be  a  grotesque  and  pre- 
tentious chandelier  dropping  out  of  a  no  less  grotesque 
and  pretentious  cast  plaster  centre-piece  affixed  to  the 
middle  of  the  ceiling.  At  this  same  time  we  often  find 
doors  and  windows  with  heads  either  semicircular  or 
else  showing  the  segment  of  an  arc,  supposedly  con- 
veying a  bit  of  distinction,  and,  when  affluent  vulgarity 
was  minded  to  splurge  in  elaboration  of  woodwork, 
there  were  sometimes  added  borders  of  heavy  machine- 
carved  flowers,  thick  rope  mouldings  and  heavy  gad- 
rooned  edges,  borrowed  unintelligently  from  eigh- 
teenth century  Italian  models  of  not  the  best  type.  City 
houses  of  the  brown-stone-front  vintage  supply  plenti- 
ful examples  of  these  depressing  items. 

The  next  phase  of  ugliness  was  the  Centennial  epi- 
sode with  nothing  new  or  better  to  contribute  to  the 
architectural  background  and  only  a  variation  in  the 
matter  of  fretted  gingerbread  woodwork  more  plenti- 


NINETEENTH  CENTURY  EPISODES  171 

fully  diffused,  besides  the  supplementary  horror  of 
so-called  frescoes  consisting  of  awkward  designs 
printed  on  paper  and  pasted  on  ceilings.  An  Eastlake 
spirit  also  manifested  itself  in  the  woodwork.  Next 
came  the  dreary,  ponderous  and  stupid  period  of  the 
80  's  with  its  attendant  monstrosities  of  wainscot,  gro- 
tesque galleried  and  fussy  mantel-pieces  and  over- 
mantels with  mirrors ;  stair  rails  and  grilles  with  multi- 
tudinous spool  and  globular  turnings ;  panels  and  fire- 
place hoods  with  muscular  griffins  and  caryatides  and 
a  maze  of  foliations  and  grisly  masques  derived  from 
clumsy  mediaeval  German  motifs,  all  substantially 
wrought  in  golden  oak  or,  perhaps,  in  red-stained  ma- 
hogany. A  frequent  piece  de  resistance  of  fixed  decor- 
ation at  this  time  was  a  terrifying  composition  in 
"stained"  glass  of  virulent  colouring  or  else  a  bewil- 
dering maelstrom  of  much  be-leaded  fragments  of  thick 
white  glass,  set  in  unusual  shaped  windows  on  stair 
landings  or  above  sideboards.  Almost  synchronous 
with  this  hectic  era  was  the  "Art  Nouveau"  craze  with 
its  attenuations,  its  contortions  and  its  misshapen  sinu- 
osities that  closely  resemble  hanks  of  molasses  toffy 
being  pulled  at  a  candy  frolic. 

From  all  this  moil  of  aberrations  there  was  bound 
to  be  a  revulsion  of  feeling  and  a  recrudescence  of  san- 
ity ;  the  human  mind  had  done  its  worst  and  the  pendu- 
lum was  due  to  swing  back  to  better  things.  The  day 
of  better  things  had  dawned,  there  were  searchings 
among  the  saner  precedents  of  the  past  and  consider- 
able progress  had  been  achieved  when  there  arose  a 
brief  reversion  to  anarchy  in  the  extravagant  gauche- 
ries  of  the  ultra-Viennese  school,  an  isolated  ebullition, 
however,  which  endured  in  vigour  for  only  a  brief  sea- 
son and  did  not  serve  to  stay  or  seriously  hinder  the 


172  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

course  of  decorative  progress  to  which  we  have  since 
held. 

Furniture  and  Decoration. — The  furniture  prop- 
erly cognate  to  the  "carpenters'  Classic"  phase,  in  the 
matter  of  architectural  background,  was  of  the  swollen 
and  clumsy  late  American  Empire  type,  which  was 
usually  of  solid  mahogany  or  else  veneered  with  crotch 
wood  over  the  tumid  proportions.  There  is  so  much 
of  it  still  extant,  and  unfortunately  some  of  it  is  being 
extensively  reproduced  and  palmed  off  on  the  unen- 
lightened in  out  of  the  way  regions,  that  it  is  unneces- 
sary to  describe  it  in  detail.  This  mobiliary  type  was 
closely  followed  by  the  rosewood  furniture  with  much 
meaningless  sinuosity  of  members  and  profuse  carv- 
ing of  details.  Such  pieces  as  etageres  or  "what-nots" 
flourished  in  polite  drawing-rooms  as  did  also  marble- 
topped  tables,  oftentimes  surmounted  with  coloured 
wax  flowers  under  glass  domes  as  becoming  central 
features  of  ornament.  The  rosewood  period  gave  place 
in  due  season  to  the  period  of  black  walnut,  a  time  in 
which  mobiliary  design  made  no  improvement  and  only 
succeeded  in  debauching  sundry  eighteenth  century 
Spanish  and  Italian  motifs  and  making  them  infinitely 
worse  than  they  were  originally.  Upon  the  heels  of 
black  walnut  came  the  procession  of  golden  oak  with  its 
tedious  ponderosity  and  revival  of  loutish  German 
mediaeval  details,  there  being  but  a  brief  episode  of 
Eastlake  creations  in  walnut  before  the  toffy-coloured 
tyranny  became  universal.  After  the  chief  vogue  of 
golden  oak,  with  its  monstrous  sideboards  and  ungainly 
tables,  a  medley  of  styles  began  to  crop  up.  Then  the 
dry  bones  were  stirred  and  towards  the  end  of  the  nine- 
teenth century  there  began  to  be  a  revival  of  sane  de- 
sign in  furniture  which  has  improved  steadily  to  the 
present  day  without  serious  let  or  hindrance,  save  for 


NINETEENTH  CENTURY  EPISODES  173 

the  "Art  Nouveau"  and  ultra-impressionistic  modern 
Viennese  furores  which,  however,  soon  ran  their  ephem- 
eral course  and  subsided  into  deserved  obscurity. 
There  were,  undoubtedly,  analogies  during  all  this  ster- 
ile and  misguided  period  between  the  design  of  furni- 
ture and  the  architectural  characteristics,  but  in  a  time 
when  there  was  little  domestic  building  that  deserved 
the  name  of  architecture  and  little  furniture  of  any 
merit,  it  would  be  idle  to  point  out  correspondences  of 
glaring  imperfection. 

Other  Decorative  Accessories  and  Movable  Decor- 
ations.— During  nearly  the  whole  of  this  dreary  period 
of  progressive  horrors,  which  may  be  said  to  have 
reached  its  culmination  in  the  Turkish  cosy  corner 
with  all  the  grotesque  and  inappropriate  accompani- 
ments thereto  appertaining,  the  "decorative  acces- 
sories" were  not  decorative  but  quite  the  reverse  and 
their  room  would  have  been  better  than  their  presence. 

There  were  wall-papers,  which  were  usually  bad,  and 
there  were  numerous  draperies  and  fringes,  which  were 
generally  far  worse,  about  as  bad,  indeed,  as  perverted 
and  fantastic  imagination  could  make  them.  Carpets 
there  were,  and  rugs,  ingrain,  Brussels,  Wilton,  Axmin- 
ster  and  sundry  other  weaves,  physically  admirable 
but,  for  the  most  part,  either  poor  or  actively  objec- 
tionable in  colour  and  pattern.  It  was  d e  rigueur  as  a 
rule  to  have  the  carpets  cover  every  inch  of  floor  space. 
Later  on,  towards  the  end  of  the  century  when  there 
began  to  be  a  taste  for  parquetted  floors  of  hard  wood 
and  ornamental  (?)  designs,  rugs  came  into  greater 
vogue,  especially  after  the  impulse  given  towards  the 
collection  of  Oriental  rugs  by  the  Centennial. 

Barring  these  and  shocking  bad  lighting  fixtures  and 
very  mediocre  sculpture  in  marble  or  bronze,  with  oc- 
casional excursions  into  the  least  inspired  t>hases  of 


174  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

Sevres,  Royal  Worcester  and  other  ceramic  produc- 
tions, the  period  was  barren  of  decorative  accessories 
and  movable  decorations.  The  wall-papers  designed 
by  William  Morris  and  the  Japanese  bronzes  and  some 
of  the  porcelains  that  appeared  after  the  Centennial 
ought  not  to  be  unconditionally  included  in  this  cate- 
gory of  condemnation,  but  their  influence  went  only  a 
little  way  towards  mitigating  the  otherwise  objection- 
able tone  of  the  era. 

Materials  and  Colour. — Reference  has  already  been 
made  to  the  woods  used  for  furniture  and  interior  fin- 
ish. It  remains  only  to  mention  the  materials  employed 
for  upholstery  and  hangings.  Haircloth,  both  plain 
and  patterned,  enjoyed  great  popularity  at  the  begin- 
ning of  the  period  and  deserved  furniture  of  better  de- 
sign on  which  to  be  applied.  Velvets,  both  plain  and 
figured,  brocades,  damasks,  brocatelles,  poplins,  satins 
and  silks  of  the  best  quality  were  lavishly  used  for 
upholstery  and  draperies  but,  as  a  rule,  far  more  could 
be  said  for  their  quality  than  for  either  their  colour 
or  their  design.  Carpets,  likewise,  were  of  the  best 
possible  quality  but  shared  the  same  limitations  re- 
garding colour  and  pattern  as  the  other  fabrics. 

The  colours  most  favoured  were  either  sombre  and 
dull  or  else  vigorous  and  full,  in  the  latter  case  being 
employed  without  the  requisite  knowledge  of  their 
properties  and  relations  to  do  them  justice.  The  Vien- 
nese episode,  almost  coincident  with  cubism  and  post- 
impressionism  in  painting,  launched  into  riotous  ex- 
cesses of  both  colour  and  design,  if  much  of  it  can  be 
called  design,  with  an  utter  disregard  for  chromatic 
psychology.  Perhaps  the  psychology  involved  was 
Teutonic,  which  would  account  for  its  inscrutability. 

Arrangement. — This  was  essentially  the  period  of 
the  "what-not"  and  the  centre  table — it  might  be  more 


NINETEENTH  CENTURY  EPISODES  175 

proper  to  spell  it  Centre  Table  with  capitals  as  indi- 
cating the  almost  religious  veneration  paid  it — of  grim, 
sumptuous,  uncomfortable  and  depressing  formality 
and  '  *  genteel, ' '  middle-class  propriety  in  arrangement 
without  consideration  for  either  practical  utility  or 
comfort.  One  cause,  perhaps,  for  all  the  dreary,  ex- 
pensive banality  and  lack  of  either  humanity  or  a  modi- 
cum of  taste  was  the  fact  that  it  was  a  period  of 
preeminently  material  prosperity  and  rapid  accumu- 
lation of  wealth  which  brought  to  the  fore  a  vast  crowd 
of  nouveaux  riches  who  had  neither  the  knowledge  nor 
traditions  back  of  them  to  impel  them  to  better  things. 
They  allowed  themselves  to  be  outfitted  by  purely  com- 
mercial purveyors  who  were  enjoined  to  make  the 
establishments  of  their  patrons  thoroughly  respectable 
and  au  fait.  And  unfortunately  those  who,  from  their 
antecedents,  should  have  known  better,  allowed  them- 
selves to  be  infected  by  the  ill  example  of  the  vulgarly 
affluent  majority. 

During  the  last  few  years  a  new  movement  has 
arisen.  As  it  has  gained  a  very  considerable  follow- 
ing, particularly  among  those  who  are  strongly  indi- 
vidual in  their  tastes  and  preferences,  it  is  desirable 
that  a  separate  section  be  given  to  its  consideration. 

THE  "NEW"  DECORATION 
AN  EXAMINATION   OF  THE   " MODERN"   METHOD 

When  a  new  tendency  or  movement  first  reaches 
the  attention  of  the  public,  and  particularly  if  in  some 
of  its  manifestations  it  be  rather  startling,  several  atti- 
tudes of  mind  immediately  become  evident.  One  tem- 
perament shrinks  from  the  unusual,  sometimes  with 
repulsion  and  hard  language,  while  another,  with  equal 


176  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

lack  of  examination,  runs  to  embrace  it  as .  le  dernier 
cri;  still  another  regards  that  as  everything  else  with 
a  tolerant  smile  of  amused  indifference,  while  it  is  re- 
served for  a  fourth  class  to  weigh  merits  and  demerits 
before  passing  judgment. 

As  it  is  to  this  last  group  that  the  readers  of  this 
book  will  doubtless  belong,  they  will  probably  be  glad 
of  a  consideration  of  this  comparatively  new  movement 
in  household  decoration  which  shall  be  at  once  sympa- 
thetic and  impartial. 

WHAT  IT  is 

While  the  newer  tendency  is  derived  from  the  Mod- 
ernistic Movement  abroad,  it  would  be  fairer  to  say 
that  its  American  manifestation  is  a  reflection  of  that 
influence  rather  than  a  continuation.  The  European 
movement,  developed  in  its  turn  from  the  Austrian 
Secession,  a  recognised  school  so  long  ago  as  the  clos- 
ing years  of  the  last  century,  is  decidedly  iconoclastic 
and  will  be  referred  to  later.  We  do  not  think  that 
there  has  been  a  great  deal  of  this  spirit  shown  in 
household  decoration  here,  and,  with  the  exception  of 
the  work  of  a  few  exponents  of  European  origin,  what 
has  been  done  in  this  direction  has  probably  been  by 
way  of  interesting  experiment.  We  need  hardly  look 
for  any  outbreak  of  erratic  tendencies,  and  the  con- 
servative need  not  therefore  greatly  concern  themselvs 
at  the  few  manifestations  of  outre  decoration  which 
have  appeared.  There  naturally  will  be  some  in  every 
movement  who  go  further  than  others,  so  that  we  may 
expect  to  find  here  as  elsewhere  all  shades  of  opinion 
and  practice,  from  decided  innovation  to  comparative 
conservatism. 

The  movement  is  the  product  of  a  number  of  clever 
minds,  and  there  is  no  organisation  for  the  promulga- 


PLATE  52 


OFFICE    AND    RECEPTION    ROOM:   AN   EXCELLENT 

EXAMPLE  OF  "MODERN"  WORK 

Walls,  Blue-green  Divided  into  Panels  by  a  Rich  Dark  Rose 
Band  and  Black  Line;  Base,  Chair-rail  and  Picture  Moulding,  Black; 
Partitions,  same  as  Walls;  Ceiling,  Grey;  Carpet,  Plain,  same  Rose 
as  Walls;  Furniture,  Black;  Draperies,  Rose  Linen  with  Appliqu^  in 
Grey,  Black  and  Rose  Velvet;  Draperies  in  Reception-room,  Rose 
Linen  with  All-over  Design  in  Green,  Red-violet  and  Blue. 
By  Courtesy  of  the  Aschermann  Studio,  New  York 


SCHEME  FOR  A  DINING-ROOM  IN  "MODERN"  STYLE 

Walls,  White  Enamel;  Ceiling  and  Walls  above  Woodwork  Painted  White;  Baseboard, 
Black;  Pilasters,  Marqueterie,  Black  and  White;  Furniture,  Ebony  Finish;  Draperies,  I  p- 
holstery  and  Rug,  Intense  Blue  and  Black;  Lighting-fixtures  and  Bowls,  Hammered  Copper. 
By  Courtesy  of  the  Aschermann  Studio,  New  York 


PLATE  53 


PLATE  54 


PANEL  INSERTS  OF. JAPANESE  PAPER,  LAMP  AND 
SIMPLE  TABLE,  ALL  APPROPRIATE  TO  "  MODERN  " 

DECORATION 
William  Chester  Chase,  Architect 


NINETEENTH  CENTURY  EPISODES  177 

tion  of  certain  principles:  the  tendency  here  seems 
simply  a  reaction  from  "Period"  furnishing  and  the 
supplying  of  another  method  of  treatment  which  shall 
be  more  in  accord  with  our  life  to-day.  How  well  and 
how  fully  it  does  this  is  the  aim  of  this  section  to 
enquire. 

If  we  interpret  aright  the  movement  in  this  country 
its  ideal — and  what  a  fine  one  it  is ! — is  to  teach  use,  con- 
venience and  beauty  by  way  of  simplicity  and  balance 
on  the  one  hand  and  fine,  frank,  cheerful  colour  on 
the  other.  Now  there  is  nothing  very  "new"  about  all 
this — and  it  is  none  the  worse  for  that.  It  is  what  many 
of  us  have  "been  after"  for  many  days.  As  the  thing 
which  comes  nearest  to  their  solution  of  the  problem  is 
Peasant  Art  (including  the  British  Cottage)  this  has 
largely  been  the  inspiration  of  the  new  movement. 
The  humorous  side  of  this  is  that  while  some  at  least 
of  the  new  movers  have  been  scathing  in  their  criti- 
cisms of  Period  Art  as  unable  to  embody  the  spirit  of 
to-day,  Peasant  Art  is  as  much  Period  Art  as  any 
other.  None  of  us,  however,  is  entirely  logical  and 
we  need  not  stress  this,  especially  as  mingled  with  this 
older  inspiration  is  the  use  of  anything  from  any 
source  which  will  aid  in  the  realising  of  the  object 
desired. 

In  itself  the  use  of  varying  materials  is  also  unob- 
jectionable, providing  they  can  be  welded  and  har- 
monised into  a  complete  and  beautiful  whole.  It  is  in 
the  definition  of  the  aim  to  be  realised  that  we  come  to 
our  first  question. 

If  the  Modern  Movement  is  an  effort  to  realise,  and 
to  provide  homes  in  correct  relation  to,  human  life  to- 
day, it  is  evident  that  the  result  will  depend  upon  the 
conception  of  what  that  life  is. 
12 


178  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

WHAT  IS  OUR  MODEBN  LIFE  f 

It  is  undeniable  that  there  is  in  our  present  exist- 
ence (and  those  whose  disposition  it  is  to  ignore  the 
past  are  invited  to  remember  that  there  has  also  been 
in  most  ages)  an  element  which  is  hectic,  freakish, 
anarchistic  and  unwholesome.  In  Europe  before  the 
war  this  tendency  was  growing  to  an  alarming  extent 
and  many  brilliant  but  erratic  minds  so  stressed  this 
phase  of  our  existence  as  either  wilfully  to  deny  its 
other  elements  or  so  to  dislike  them  as  to  wish  them 
begone.  The  extreme  wing  of  this  group  would  have 
liked  to  cut  loose  from  and  abolish  the  past  with  its 
lessons  and  make  all  new  after  its  own  devices.  It  is 
little  wonder  that  we  have  seen  an  outpouring  of  cub- 
ism, vorticism,  futurism,  attempts  to  depict  emotional- 
ism and  movement  without  sufficient  regard  to  the  basis 
of  form,  strident  and  discordant  colour,  and  the  more 
hectic  and  immodest  tendencies  in  woman 's  dress. 

We  do  not  say  and  we  do  not  think  that  this  spirit 
has  entered  to  any  great  extent  into  decorative  art  in 
America  and  probably  the  war  has  eradicated  it  abroad. 

Here,  we  may  well  believe,  the  movement  in  gen- 
eral simply  recognises  the  variety,  the  virility,  the 
elasticity,  yes  and  the  restlessness  and  excitability 
of  modern  life  and  attempts  to  meet  and  interpret  it. 
Whether  it  would  not  be  better  to  endeavour  to  neu- 
tralise the  latter  phases  is  a  question  worth  the  asking. 

With  the  difference  in  aim  comes  the  difference  in 
result,  and  consequently  we  shall  find  examples  which 
continue  with  the  fine  qualities  of  simplicity  and 
strength  of  line  the  stiffness  and  want  of  home  feeling 
which  somehow  prevails  in  much  of  the  Vienna  Seces- 
sion; other  houses  a  bouquet,  with  rooms  in  colour- 
schemes  representing  various  and  unrelated  flowers; 


NINETEENTH  CENTURY  EPISODES  179 

and  still  others  in  which  the  unities  are  rightly  kept 
and  which  have  the  cheer  and  charm  and  freshness  of 
simplicity  and  beautiful  colour  beautifully  used. 

VERVE  AND  FRESHNESS 

That  the  injection  of  these  qualities  into  our  homes 
would  be  an  exceedingly  desirable  thing  was  effectively 
borne  in  upon  the  writers  when  for  selective  purposes 
they  had  the  task  of  going  over  some  three  hundred 
photographs  of  the  interiors  of  tasteful  houses.  With 
few  of  them  could  particular  fault  be  found  (other- 
wise the  photographs  would  not  have  been  taken),  but 
in  less  than  a  quarter  of  this  number  was  any  particular 
individuality  shown. 

Most  tasteful  Americans  are  unduly  conservative 
and  too  content  to  follow  precedent,  and  a  movement 
which  awakens  and  " gives  them  to  think"  is  decidedly 
at  present  a  needed  spur.  It  does  not  follow  that  we 
must  rush  to  adopt  the  new  decoration,  but  it  is  well 
to  consider  it  carefully,  for  it  has  much  to  offer.  In 
addition  to  providing  many  hints  even  to  those  who 
prefer  the  old  it  certainly  affords  at  much  less  expense 
than  period  furnishing  a  method  of  decoration  well 
adapted  to  modest  houses,  cottages  and  some  apart- 
ments, which  is  simple  and  at  the  same  time  artistic, 
bright  and  attractive. 

There  is  no  obligation  to  adopt  its  more  outre  feat- 
ures if  unsuited  to  our  temperaments,  for  it  presents 
alternatives  from  which  to  choose.  In  order  that  full 
consideration  be  given  this  method*  its  detailed  charac- 
teristics have  been  treated  in  Part  II  in  the  chapters  on 
Colour,  Walls,  Floors,  Furniture  and  Fabrics. 

A  very  practical  question  is :  How  far  is  it  adapted 
to  the  possessions  we  already  have  ?  If,  upon  examina- 
tion, we  find  this  spirit  or  ideal  appeals  to  us,  can  we 


180  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

avail  ourselves  of  it  wholly,  or  to  what  extent,  without 
an  entire  redecoration  and  refurnishing  of  our  homes  ? 

To  those  who  own  handsome  Period  Furniture  and 
furnishings  it  may  be  said  that  such  things  will  not 
be  superseded  by  this  or  any  other  new  method  which 
may  arise.  The  ''modern'*  method,  charming  as  it 
may  be  at  its  best,  is  in  any  event  rather  limited  to 
small  houses  or  apartments,  and  indeed  not  to  all  of 
these.  It  is  an  excellent  sign  that  many  Americans  of 
the  better  and  more  thoughtful  class  are  taking  account 
of  something  other  than  size.  Small  families  often 
wish  to  eliminate  the  care  and  continual  bother  large 
properties  involve  and  are  moving  into  apartments  or 
smaller  houses,  even  erecting  smaller  country  abodes 
as  well.  The  tastes  of  these  people  may  be  highly 
formed  and  rather  luxurious,  and  merely  simple  and 
charming  houses  would  reflect  neither  their  personal- 
ities nor  their  lives.  They  may  then  wish  these  abodes 
to  be  jewel  caskets  enshrining  gems  in  the  way  of  rare 
furniture,  textiles,  vases  and  pictures,  and  there  should 
be  none  to  say  them  nay  in  their  desire  to  surround 
themselves  with  beauty.  In  such  cases  the  new  decora- 
tion obviously  does  not  apply. 

Then,  too,  if  the  colouring  in  any  house  is  rather 
attenuated  it  is  plain  that  patches  of  brighter  hue  can- 
not be  introduced  without  working  havoc  with  all  that 
remains;  so  that  in  such  instances  again  one  must 
either  take  or  leave  it — redecorate  or  let  all  remain 
largely  as  it  is. 

But  there  are  many  houses  furnished  in  non-com- 
mittal style,  and  others  containing  period  furniture, 
but  which  are  generally  eclectic  in  character,  and  these 
may  sometimes  be  greatly  helped  by  hints  from  this 
newer  method.  As  the  simplicity  of  spaciousness  is 
one  of  its  finest  features,  there  may  be  some  elimina- 


NINETEENTH  CENTURY  EPISODES  181 

tion,  and  the  improvement  wrought  by  the  mere  re- 
moval of  cumbersome  and  less  desirable  pieces  is  often 
immeasurable. 

The  colouring  of  a  room  generally  exists  in  the 
walls,  rugs  and  fabrics.  If  the  walls  are  good  and  are 
neutral  they  are  perfectly  adapted  to  this  new  style, 
and  if  they  are  "fussy"  they  are  not  adapted  to  any 
style  and  should  be  changed.  If  they  are  in  poor  con- 
dition they  may  be  renewed  either  in  the  neutral  or 
more  colourful  vein. 

Of  rugs  much  the  same  may  be  said.  If  neutral  they 
are  perfectly  correct,  and  so  if  they  are  colourful, 
provided  they  are  not  restless  in  pattern  or  contrast. 
If  objectionable,  bare  floors  would  be  better  with  any 
style  of  decoration.  An  expanse  of  bare,  well-polished 
floor  with  a  few  simple  rugs  in  good  solid  colouring, 
or  two  tones,  or  bordered,  is  always  attractive.  Good 
Oriental  rugs  will  do  excellently  well  if  the  new  col- 
ouring to  be  introduced  is  made  to  accord  with  them. 

Now  with  the  simple  change  of  upholstery,  hang- 
ings and  cushions  wonders  may  be  done  in  the  vivifying 
of  such  a  house.  But  before  anything  is  done  plan  the 
Avhole.  Consult  the  section  on  "Unity  and  Variety" 
and  the  Peasant  colour-combinations  given  in  the  chap- 
ter on  Colour,  and  scheme  out  what  is  to  be  done  in 
each  room.  If  there  is  a  large  couch  its  cover  may  be 
colourful,  but  let  it  be  of  solid  colour  and  then  use 
pillows  of  decidedly  ornamental  character,  with  one  of 
black. 

For  upholstery  stripes  always  have  an  intrinsic 
style  of  their  own,  and  these  may  be  strong  and  varied, 
or  plain  strong  tones  may  be  chosen,  or  printed  linen 
or  cretonne. 

If  there  is  great  variety  in  the  other  furnishings 


182  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

keep  the  portieres  and  window  curtains  in  solid  colour. 
If  variety  is  lacking  it  may  be  introduced  here. 

Much  may  be  done  by  Oriental,  Batik,  or  other  dec- 
orative hangings,  screens,  lamps,  vases,  and  the  like. 

The  probability  is  that  in  most  houses  many  of  the 
pictures  may  be  discarded  to  advantage.  Those  that 
are  retained  should  be  good  in  themselves  and  for  the 
decorative  purpose  for  which  they  are  used,  and  their 
frames  should  be  fitting  and  unobtrusive. 

Merely  nondescript  homes  may  be  made  coherent 
and  attractive  by  following  the  plan  outlined  in  the 
preceding  paragraphs  with  the  addition  of  an  over- 
hauling of  the  furniture.  Badly  designed,  tortuously 
carved  or  machine-impressed  pieces  should  be  simpli- 
fied or  discarded.  "Foolish"  bric-a-brac,  calendars, 
photographs  and  general  litter  should  especially  be 
weeded  out.  Better  a  few  good  things  than  much  which 
is  distracting  and  inharmonious. 

Regarding  the  new  decoration  we  may  then  finally 
say  that  in  its  saner  forms  it  is  attractive,  practical  and 
inexpensive.  As  to  its  more  outre  aspects  one  could 
not  close  more  fittingly  than  to  quote  the  words  of  Mr. 
Aymar  Embury  regarding  strained  and  eccentric  ef- 
fects in  general :  *  *  Whatever  fascination  this  wayward 
cleverness  may  afford  at  first  sight  is  not  lasting,  but 
is  sure  to  dwindle  and  become  a  weariness  when  once 
the  novelty  has  given  place  to  the  habit  of  familiar  con- 
tact day  after  day. ' ' 


PART  II 

PRACTICAL  DECORATION 
AND  FURNISHING 


— you  cannot  separate  art  and  recreation,  and  you  can- 
not separate  art  and  business.  The  list  includes  items 
which  we  consider  as  amusements,  and  items  which  we 
think  of  as  business.  We  began  with  dancing  and  ended 
with  upholstery.  Make  them  all  beautiful. 

"  THE  ORGANISATION  OP  THOUGHT." 

By  A.  N.  Whitehead,  Sc.D.,  F.  R.  S. 
London :  Williams  &  Norgate. 
Philadelphia:    J.  B.  Lippincott  Company. 


PART  II 

PRACTICAL  DECORATION  AND 
FURNISHING 


THE   INTERIOR  AS  A   WHOLE.      PLANNING.      FOUR  METHODS 
OF  FURNISHING 

IT  would  be  a  comparatively  easy  task  for  the  writers 
to  lay  down  an  accumulation  of  abstract  principles 
governing  the  different  phases  of  Interior  Decora- 
tion. They  hope,  however,  to  do  much  more  than  this ; 
and,  fully  recognising  the  many  varying  conditions 
under  which  the  decorator — either  professional  or  ama- 
teur— must  work,  to  cover  these  conditions  in  such  a 
practical  way  as  to  afford  the  greatest  aid  in  the  sim- 
plest and  most  systematic  manner.  Needless  to  say  the 
salesman  will  similarly  be  able  to  derive  much  aid  in 
intelligently  advising  his  customers. 

Part  I  of  this  book  has  dealt  with  the  various  Period 
styles  in  their  purity  in  which  anyone  may  gather  many 
hints  for  present-day  usage  of  the  same.  The  present 
portion  of  the  work  treats  in  detail  of  the  fitting  up 
of  our  modern  houses  and  apartments  and  will  afford 
help  to  those  who  can  make  but  a  limited  expenditure 
in  the  improvement  of  their  homes  as  well  as  to  those 
who  are  financially  so  situated  as  to  be  able  to  carry  out 
such  plans  as  they  may  wish. 

Notwithstanding  the  great  improvement  made  in  the 
decoration  of  the  interior  during  recent  years,  a  fault 
continually  manifest  is  the  failure  in  many  instances  to 

185 


186  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

,  consider  the  house  or  apartment  as  a  whole.  Instead 
(of  the  clean,  coherent  effect  which  should  everywhere 
be  evident  as  the  result  of  a  well-mapped  decorative 
campaign— be  the  property  large  or  small — is  felt  a  fit- 
fulness  of  purpose,  a  lack  of  grasp.  The  individual 
rooms  may  be  charming,  but  the  fact  that  they  have  been 
separately  considered,  strung  like  beautiful  but  incon- 
gruous beads  upon  a  string,  is  often  but  too  plain. 

So  far  are  our  best  architects  and  decorators  from 
erring  in  this  respect  that  their  first  and  guiding  prin- 
ciple is  unity,  but — not  always  through  their  own  fault 
as  we  shall  see — the  want  of  architectonic  quality  is 
frequently  manifest  in  the  work  of  clever  and  competent 
people,  not  to  mention  that  of  those  decorators  who  are 
simply  tradesmen,  while  houses  which  are  furnished  by 
their  owners  are  seldom  free  from  this  defect. 

The  temporary  craze  for  some  particular  style  is 
responsible  for  much  of  this :  the  householder  furnishes 
a  room  or  two  in  the  manner  then  in  special  fashion,  or 
commissions  a  decorator  to  do  it,  and  a  year  or  two 
thereafter,  that  vogue  having  had  its  little  day,  other 
rooms  are  done,  also  in  the  style  which  is  then  "  just  the 
thing,"  but  in  a  style  which  is  likely  to  be  totally  at 
variance  with  the  first.  Do  not  householders  know  that 
such  crazes  are  fostered  by  manufacturers  and  dealers 
for  trade  purposes,  that  art  is  a  matter  of  sanity  and 
equilibrium,  and  that  worthy  interior  decoration  recog- 
nises no  such  thing  as  the  fad? 

There  may  be  choice  and  preference,  and  it  is  the 
aim  of  this  book  to  lay  before  the  householder  and  the 
decorator  facts  and  principles  that  will  enable  choice 
and  preference  to  be  arrived  at  intelligently;  so  that 
they  shall  be  the  honest  expression  of  the  individual 
temperament,  and  not  mere  whim  or  a  temporary 


THE  BASIS  OF  SUCCESSFUL  DECORATION     187 

"liking,"  to  be  effaced  by  the  next  attraction  that 
grasps  the  attention. 

As  such  an  intelligent  choice  and  appreciation  must 
be  based  on  knowledge,  and  as  decoration  by  any  method 
or  in  any  style  is  a  whole,  its  parts  being  intimately 
related  and  inseparable,  it  is  urged  that  no  decision  be 
made  or  work  begun  until  that  knowledge  be  made  one's 
own.  Special  attention  has  here  been  given  to  making 
its  acquirement  easy  through  simple,  systematic  and 
logical  arrangement  and  treatment,  but  the  contents  of 
one  chapter  should  not  be  acted  upon  until  the  others 
also  have  been  studied.  If  a  window  cannot  be  curtained 
without  reference  to  the  other  furnishings  of  the  room, 
to  the  room  itself,  the  others  in  the  house,  and  the  exte- 
rior of  that  house — and  it  cannot — then  it  is  plain  that 
these  other  things  should  be  taken  into  account  before 
we  curtain  the  window. 

The  basis  of  all  good  decoration  is  plan — well- 
selected  and  adhered  to ;  and  as  there  are  four  methods 
of  furnishing  these  will  forthwith  be  stated. 

The  instances  in  which  an  entire  house  (or  apart- 
ment) is  newly  decorated  and  supplied  with  new  furni- 
ture throughout  are  few  in  comparison  with  those  in 
which  already  acquired  possessions  are  used  at  least  to 
a  partial  extent :  these  possessions  will  naturally  there- 
fore have  their  influence  in  the  selection  of  a  style  of 
furnishing.  But  it  is  advisable  to  see  that  they  do  not 
have  too  great  an  influence,  and  to  remember  that  im- 
provement can  gradually  be  carried  out.  The  plan  may 
therefore  be  built  upon  future  rather  than  existing  con- 
ditions. It  is  possible  even  with  limited  means  to  change 
the  whole  character  of  an  interior  during  the  course  of 
a  few  years,  and  each  of  these  years  may  be  marked  by 
constant  interest  and  pleasure.  It  is  questionable  if 


188  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

such  gradual  development  worked  out  by  the  house- 
holder himself  does  not  give  quite  as  keen  and  solid 
satisfaction  as  the  placing  of  a  large  commission  with 
a  professional  decorator  may  give  his  wealthy  neigh- 
bour. For  those  of  abundant  means  to  allow  the  posses- 
sion of  certain  bad  furnishings  to  hamper  and  mar  right 
planning  would  be  poor  policy  indeed — it  is  better  to 
rid  oneself  of  the  incubus  and  have  done  with  it. 

FOUR  METHODS  OF  FURNISHING 
I.   INTERNATIONAL-INTER  PERIOD    DECORATION 

By  far  the  most  satisfactory  method  of  furnishing, 
either  for  the  elaborate  or  the  simple  house  or  apart- 
ment, is  that  combining  nationalities  and  periods  which 
properly  accompany  each  other  as  under  sufficiently 
close  decorative  influences.  Of  such  importance  is  this 
plan  that  it  has  been  fully  developed  and  exemplified  in 
Part  III.  Its  title  indicates  the  scope  of  this  method, 
its  infinite  variety,  and  its  freedom  from  all  narrowness 
of  view. 

Full  provision  is  also  there  made  for  period  furnish- 
ing where  the  walls  must  necessarily  be  simple,  owing 
to  the  property  being  rented,  or  for  other  reasons. 
Many  new  houses  and  apartments  are  finished  interiorly 
with  wood-work  of  simple,  classical  design  appropriate 
to  almost  any  epoch.  Doors  and  windows  are  usually 
in  good  proportion,  the  former  being  simply  panelled. 
These  features  are  so  unobtrusive  and  non-committal 
that  they  may  be  left  as  they  are,  and  with  a  treatment 
of  the  walls  either  in  simple,  tasteful  style,  or  adapted 
more  closely  to  the  period  chosen,  furnishing  may  be  in 
accordance  with  almost  any  period  style.  In  many  con- 
ditions and  for  non-plethoric  purses  this  is  an  excellent 
method. 


PLATE  55 


PLATE  56 


PLATE  57 


THE  BASIS  OF  SUCCESSFUL  DECORATION    189 

II.    THE  ONE-PERIOD  METHOD 

This  method  with  its  limitations  is  also  mentioned  in 
Part  III,  which  see. 

ni.  THE  " MODERN"  METHOD,  OR  THE  ' 'NEWER 

DECORATION ' ' 

This  is  a  various,  adaptable,  and  inexpensive  style  of 
decoration  enabling  those  occupying  small  houses  or 
apartments,  if  possessed  of  taste  and  judgment,  to 
secure  excellent  and  artistic  results  by  simple  means. 
It  is  fully  described  in  Part  I,  Chapter  IX,  and  details 
for  its  carrying  out  are  provided  in  the  various  chapters 
of  Part  II. 

IV.    THE  NON-COMMITTAL  METHOD 

In  many  cases  families  possess  much  modern  furni- 
ture, including  wicker,  of  various  kinds  and  of  no  par- 
ticular style,  and  there  is  no  alternative  to  using  it. 
While  it  is  not  an  advisable  method  of  furnishing  to 
be  deliberately  chosen,  where  it  already  exists  and  the 
owners  have  taste  the  results  may  be  very  charming  and 
homelike. 

Frequently  it  is  possible  to  weed  out  gradually  the 
less  desirable  pieces  and  substitute  more  desirable 
things.  Many  hints  may  be  taken  from  the  "  Modern 
Method,"  or  a  transformation  effected  by  easy  stages 
to  Inter-period  style.  If  either  is  done  the  decision 
made  should  be  adhered  to,  as  a  fluctuating  policy  hin- 
ders good  results  here  as  elsewhere. 

The  improvement  of  our  home-life  and  surroundings 
throughout  the  country,  on  the  farm,  and  in  remote 
districts  as  well  as  in  the  centres  of  civilisation  should 
be  a  purpose  dear  to  all  of  us.  On  holidays  and  anni- 
versaries no  better  gift  to  relatives  and  intimate  friends 


190  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

could  be  found  than  pieces  of  furniture  or  furnishings 
which  are  good  in  themselves  and  appropriate  to  the 
surroundings  of  those  receiving  them.  As  it  is  to  the 
rising  generation  that  we  must  look  for  improvement, 
so  every  boy  and  girl  should  be  encouraged  to  take  pride 
in  the  rooms  they  occupy  and  be  helped  in  their 
development. 

Great  insistence  has  been  laid  upon  the  need  of 
"  expressing  one's  own  personality  in  one's  surround- 
ings." The  counsel  when  so  baldly  stated  is  apt  to  lead 
to  self -consciousness,  artificiality  and  a  false  striving 
to  be  different,  resulting  merely  in  freakishness  of 
effect.  If,  with  sincerity,  we  endeavour  simply  to  make 
our  surroundings  as  beautiful  as  in  us  lies,  as  homelike, 
as  consistent  with  our  needs  and  our  social  standing, 
we  shall  in  the  end  find  that  we  have  expressed  our- 
selves— as  we  are,  and  not  according  to  some  vain 
imagining  of  what  our  personality  is. 

Of  the  four  methods  of  furnishing  above  described 
it  will  be  seen  that  two  contemplate  the  use  of  Period 
Furniture.  There  seems  to  be  an  impression  among 
many  who  have  given  no  particular  attention  to  the  sub- 
ject that  there  is  something  esoteric  about  Period  Fur- 
niture, that  it  is  beyond  their  comprehension — and  also 
that  the  furniture  itself  is  beyond  their  pocketbooks. 
Both  suppositions  are  probably  wrong  for  readers  of 
this  book.  Half  the  time  spent  on  bridge,  motors  or 
"movies"  for  a  few  weeks  would  give  them  much  valu- 
able information,  and  for  those  who  cannot  afford  gen- 
uine antiques  there  are  always  faithful  reproductions. 

"But  why  should  I  trouble  myself  about  the  styles 
of  the  past?"  may  be  asked.  Because  there  we  find  a 
beauty  unapproached  by  modern  designers.  With  the 
decadence  of  the  Empire  style  the  art  of  great  furni- 
ture-design died,  and  we  still  await  its  resurrection. 


CHAPTER  II 

COLOUR  AND  COLOUR-SCHEMES 

PKINCIPLES  AND  CHARACTERISTICS  OP  COLOUR.  ACCENTS 
AND  DOMINANTS.  COLOUR  IN  DECORATION.  COLOUR  AS 
DICTATED  BY  PERIOD  STYLES.  VALUE.  SCALE.  THE  PRO- 
PORTIONS OF  COLOUR.  UNITY  AND  VARIETY  IN  DECORA- 
TION. COLOUR  IN  THE  "  MODERN"  DECORATION. 


FORM  and  Colour  are  the  twin  foundation  stones 
of  art.  Form  must  come  first,  before  the  appli- 
cation of  colour,  but  construction  is  the  province 
of  the  architect.  Wall  decoration  when  extensive  may 
be  done  by  the  architect,  the  decorator,  or  by  both 
working  conjointly.  Part  I  of  this  book  gives  a  thor- 
ough consideration  of  the  treatment  of  walls  in  all 
periods,  so  that  nothing  pertaining  to  form  remains 
here  for  consideration  excepting  the  arrangement  and 
balance  of  the  furniture  and  other  objects  to  be  intro- 
duced into  the  interior  and  the  matters  of  design  and 
scale.  Consideration  of  these  points  will  naturally 
come  later. 

On  the  other  hand,  it  is  impossible  for  us  even  to 
plan  our  scheme  of  decoration  without  reference  to  the 
universally  interesting  subject  of  colour. 

COLOUR 

In  this  chapter  colour  will  be  treated  from  a  simple 
and  practical  point  of  view,  (it  is  a  subject  upon  which 
a  vast  deal  of  theory  is  usually  expended,  all  in  itself 
excellent  but  usually  resulting  simply  in  the  obfusca- 
tioiTbf  the  general  reader.  There  is  perhaps  a  better 
way  to  communicate  it. 

191 


192  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

As  everyone  knows,  the  primary  colours  are  yellow, 
red  and  blue,  and  the  binary  colours  (those  composed 
of  two)  are  orange  (yellow  and  red),  violet  (red  and 
blue)  and  green  (yellow  and  blue). 

Bed,  yellow  and  blue  are  called  primary  colours 
because  white  light  in  the  solar  spectrum  separates  into 
these  three  basic  colours.  As  pure  light  these  colours 
would  fuse  back  into  white.  In  material  pigment  they 
do  not  quite  accomplish  this  but  fuse  into  grey. 

Two  simple  little  diagrams  will  explain  the  matter 
of  colour.  Yellow,  red  and  blue  may  be  called  the 
" eternal  triangle"  of  colour — let  us  so  arrange  them. 


As  orange  is  an  equal  mixture  of  normal  yellow  and 
red,  let  us  place  it  midway  between  its  two  components, 
also  placing  the  other  two  binary  colours  between  the 
components  of  each.  We  then  have  superimposed  a 
second  triangle  upon  the  first. 

The  dotted  lines  will  show  at  once  the  opposing  or 
complementary  colours.  They  are  opposing  because 
each  of  these  contains  none  of  the  other.  Orange  is  a 
mixture  of  yellow  and  red  and  contains  no  blue.  Blue 
and  orange  are  therefore  opposing.  A  glance  at  the 
diagram  will  likewise  show  the  other  opposing  colours. 
It  is  simplicity  itself. 

There  is  a  curious  effect  which  while,  of  course, 


COLOUR  AND  COLOUR-SCHEMES 


193 


experienced  by  all  artists,  has  not,  to  the  writers' 
knowledge,  previously  been  formally  pointed  out.  It 
is  a  most  important  one  to  be  remembered  by  all  who 
have  to  handle  colour.  Let  us  glance  for  a  moment  at 
our  triangle  of  yellow,  red  and  blue.  Yellow  and  blue, 
though  occupying  opposing  points  of  the  triangle  and 
thus  contrasting,  do  yet  form  a  harmony  of  difference, 
i.e.,  they  are  pleasing  in  combination. 

Blue  and  red  also  occupy  two  opposing  points  of 
the  triangle  and  while  they  are  less  contrasting  than 


blue  and  yellow  are  at  the  same  time  less  pleasing  an 
harmony. 

Yellow  and  red  likewise-  occupy  two  opposing  points 
of  the  triangle.  Now  these,  in  their  pure  state,  form 
no  harmony,  but  rather  a  discord.  If  we  but  remem- 
ber these  things,  and  also  that  the  three  colours  in 
the  upper  left  of  the  diagram  (yellow,  orange  and  red) 
are  advancing  or  aggressive  and  warm  colours  and 
those  in  the  right  (green  and  blue)  are  retreating  or 
quiet  and  cool  colours,  we  have  already  gone  far  in  the 
understanding  of  colour  for  decoration.  Violet  is  neu- 
tral. In  decorative  practice  gold  also  is  neutral. 

13 


194  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

Our  useful  little  diagram  shows  that  normal  orange 
is  half  way  between  yellow  and  red,  i.e.,  it  is  composed 
of  an  equal  power  of  each.  It  is  evident  that  if  more 
red  be  added  it  becomes  a  reddish  orange,  and  if  more 
yellow  it  becomes  a  yellowish  orange.  It  is  also  plain 
that  if  one  follows  the  dotted  line  from  orange  across 
the  diagram  to  its  opponent  blue  and  adds  blue  to 
orange  he  will  neutralise  the  orange  by  the  blue'  he 
adds  until  if  a  sufficient  power  of  blue  were  added  the 
orange  would  be  totally  destroyed  and  the  combination 
become  grey.  It  is  by  this  adding  of  a  portion  of  one 
colour  to  another,  or  the  adding  to  them  of  white  or 
black  that  tones  are  made. 

The  number  of  hues  and  tones  to  be  produced  by 
the  mixture  of  colours  is  necessarily  very  large.  The 
most  prominent  are  those  composed  of  any  one  of  the 
six  colours  on  the  second  diagram  with  the  one  next  it 
— thus  yellow  and  orange  produce  yellow  orange.  The 
others  in  successive  order  are  red-orange,  red-violet, 
blue-violet,  blue-green,  yellow-green. 

In  practice  the  most  generally  useful  colours  are 
the  slightly  greyed  hues  of  these  twelve  colours  and 
those  known  as  the  Tertiary  and  Quartenary  Colours 
and  are  produced  as  follows : 

Tertiary:  The  mixture  of  two  Binary  (sometimes 
called  Secondary)  colours — Slate  (violet  and  green), 
citrine  (green  and  orange),  russet  (orange  and  violet). 

Quartenary:  the  mixture  of  two  Tertiary  colours 
— Sage  (citrine  and  slate),  buff  (citrine  and  russet), 
plum  (russet  and  slate). 

'  As  one  thinks  of  such  tones  as  buff,  rose,  grey,  grey 
blue,  etc.,  it  is  plain  that  such  tones  are  more  agree- 
able and  subtle  than  the  strident  and  hard  primary 
yellow,  red  and  blue. 

The  strong  prismatic  primaries  and  binaries  are 


COLOUR  AND  COLOUR^CHEMES  195 

suitable  for  accents,  about  which  we  shall  by-and-by 
have  much  to  say,  but  in  quantity  are  not  agreeable  to 
cultivated  tastes. 

With  but  a  few  words  as  to  the  general  characteris- 
tics of  each  colour  we  shall  be  ready  to  proceed  to  their 
use  in  decoration.  It  should  be  remembered  that  these 
characteristics  are  those  of  the  pure  colours  and  that 
in  their  tones  they  are  modified  by  the  amount  of  de- 
parture from  this  original. 

^ellwtK  Although  sunlight  is  a  white  light,  yellow 
gives  more  of  an  effect  of  light  than  does  white  itself. 
If  a  piece  of  light  yellow  paper  is  placed  out  of  doors  on 
a  gloomy  day  and  glanced  at  through  the  window  it  will 
appear  as  if  the  sun  were  shining  upon  it.  Yellow  in  its 
various  shades  is  therefore  useful  for  the  lightening 
of  dark  rooms. 

Red.:  It  is  perhaps  safe  to  say  that  when  the  colour 
red  is  mentioned  many  understand  by  it  the  colour 
which  is  represented  by  vermilion ;  nor  is  this  strange 
when  even  writers  on  interior  decoration  give  this  hue 
as  prismatic  red  in  their  colour  charts.  Nevertheless, 
the  real  prismatic  red  is  a  quite  different  colour, 
strongly  inclining  toward  the  crimson  shade  and  more 
nearly  represented  by  rose  madder  or  carmine. 

Anyone  at  all  familiar  with  the  three-colour 
process  of  colour-plate  making  and  its  present  remark- 
ably faithful  reproduction  of  tones  of  every  descrip- 
tion will  at  once  realise  the  truth  of  this,  as  the  *  *  Red ' ' 
ink  used  in  printing  these  plates  is  of  a  quite  carmine 
hue.  The  distinction  is  of  high  importance,  a  misun- 
derstanding of  the  definition  of  a  point  at  issue  being " 
often  the  main  cause  of  dispute. 

It  is,  for  instance,  usually  observed  that  red  is  a 
very  exciting  colour.  This  is  quito  true  of  the  vermil- 
iorTred,  winch  contains  some  yellow  and  is  therefore 


196  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

really  orange  red,  and  true  to  a  less  degree  of  the  true 
prismatic  red.  All  reds  have  the  quality  of  warmth. 

Orange:  Orange,  which  partakes  of  the  nature  of 
both  yellow  and  red,  therefore  combines  their  qualities 
of  light  and  heat. 

j^&e;  Blue  is  one  of  the  retiring  colours  and  is  quiet- 
ing in  its  influence ;  it  is  also  cool,  in  some  shades  cold. 
These  qualities  should  be  borne  in  mind. 

Green:  Green,  which  is  the  combination  of  yellow 
and  blue,  has  the  qualities  of  light,  quiet  and  coolness. 

Violet:  Violet  possesses  richness  and  sumptuous- 
ness,  which  have  associated  it  with  royalty.  It  has  also 
sombreness,  which  has  associated  it  ecclesiastically 
with  penitential  seasons  and  death,  and  individually 
with  a  lesser  mourning  than  black. 

Having  briefly  gone  over  the  characteristics  and  re- 
lations of  colours,  their  use  in  decoration  can  be  taken 
up,  and  this  can  perhaps  best  be  done  in  an  easy-going 
conversational  way.  Let  us  begin  with  an  example : 

As  a  well-dressed  man  might,  for  instance,  with 
clothes  and  accessories  of  quiet  tan,  wear  a  tie  of  an 
orange  shade,  or  containing  it,  so  if  the  colouring  of 
a  room  were  of  similar  character  a  strong  note  might  be 
struck  by  an  orange  bowl  filled  with  nasturtiums,  an 
orange  screen,  or  other  such  object.  This  strong,  in- 
troduced note  would  be  an  Accent.  Without  such  accent 
a  keyed  and  related  room  (or  a  costume),  though  har- 
monious is  apt  to  be  monotonous  and  <iead. 

But,  the  man  with  the  tan  costume  might  also,  and 
better  yet,  wear  a  tie  of  blue,  and  so  might  the  room 
have  a  bowl  or  other  object  of  blue,  and  if  the  shade 
is  right  it  will  give  an  accent  of  more  value  and  variety 
than  the  accent  of  kindred  shade.  This  is  because  blue 
is  the  complementary  or  opposing  colour  of  yellow 
and  each  therefore  gives  value  and  quality  to  the  other. 


COLOUR  AND  COLOUR-SCHEMES  197 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  there  are  two  kinds  of  accent 
— the  related  and  the  opposing — and  that  without  the 
one  or  the  other  a  room  is  characterless  and  with  use 
becomes  exceeding  tiresome. 

The  word  accent  itself  shows  its  purpose  of  simply 
adding  emphasis,  so  that  it  is  at  once  plain  that  in  suck 
a  tan  room  as  we  are  considering  we  must  not  have 
too  much  orange  or  blue  (either  in  mass  or  number 
of  scattered  objects)  or  instead  of  accent  we  shall  then 
have  disturbance.  It  is  also  obvious  that  in  such  a 
room  we  might  have  much  more  of  orange  as  an  em- 
phasis than  we  could  rightly  have  of  blue,  because  the 
first  is  related  and  the  second  is  not,  but  is  opposing. 

It  is  equally  plain  that  our  principles  still  hold  if 
we  reverse  the  combination.  One  of  the  prettiest 
rooms  the  writers  remember  was  a  simple  little  guest 
chamber  in  a  country  house.  It  was  furnished  in  old 
mahogany  and  at  the  rather  high-set  double  windows 
were  curtains  of  blue  and  white,  while  on  the  floor  were 
simple  grey-blue  rugs,  matching  in  shade  the  blue  of 
the  curtain.  Had  there  been  introduced  into  this  room 
our  previously  mentioned  orange  bowl  of  nasturtiums 
the  result  would  have  been  perfection. 

And  the  citing  of  this  room  brings  us  to  another  re- 
source we  have  in  furnishing.  It  will  be  noticed  that  in 
addition  to  the  blue  in  the  curtain  there  was  white, 
and  we  would  now  also  mention  that  the  wall-paper 
was  of  a  grey-white  with  a  little  scattered  snowflake 
pattern  in  white  talc  thereon.  We  have,  therefore,  in 
addition  to  the  blue  and  orange  the  introduction  of  a 
third  element — white;  and  a  fourth  in  the  mahogany 
tone  of  the  furniture. 

White  is  not  a  colour,  but  is  the  combination  of  all 
the  colours  and  therefore  neutral,  so  that  it  conflicts 
with  no  other  color  and  may  safely  be  used  with  any. 


198  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

In  the  present  instance  the  mahogany  is  closely  related 
to  the  orange  and  contrasted  pleasantly  with  the  shade 
of  blue  employed,  so  that  here  again  we  have  no  con- 
flict but  a  safe  and  beautiful  combination  of  four 
colour-elements  in  the  one  room.  Our  resources  are 
growing. 

Now  say  that  we  introduce,  besides  the  above  fur- 
nishings, a  screen  covered  with  cretonne  of  which  the 
same  tone  of  blue  is  the  dominant  note,  but  which  con- 
tains green  leaves  and  perhaps  a  number  of  other 
colours,  all  of  which  however  occupy  lesser  space  than 
the  blue  and  are  pleasantly  related  or  contrasted — so 
far  as  colour  is  concerned  we  should  still  be  safe. 

We  therefore  arrive  at  an  important  point.  Many 
home  furnishers  and  even  some  professional  deco- 
rators are  apt  to  limit  themselves  too  closely  for  life, 
variety  and  pleasantness  of  effect  by  the  laying  out 
of  colour  schemes  or  ''rhythmic  notes"  composed  ex- 
clusively of  varying  shades  of  one  colour,  or  adding 
simply  an  accent.  On  the  other  hand,  many  women 
and  even  women  decorators  indulge  in  a  riot  of  colour 
without  a  sufficiently  large  basis  of  neutral  or  at  least 
quiet  and  undisturbed  surface.  In  short,  we  see  that 
the  two  errours  to  be  avoided  are  all  "harmony"  with- 
out "relief"  and  all  "relief"  without  "harmony." 

We  must,  in  furnishing,  therefore  use  considera- 
tion, and  a  little  thought  will  usually  set  us  right.  Take 
up,  as  an  example,  the  question  of  the  introduction  of 
the  varied  cretonne  screen  into  the  blue  and  white  room 
we  have  been  considering.  It  might,  so  far  as  colour 
is  concerned,  be  safe,  but  would  it  otherwise  be  advis- 
able? In  this  room  it  would  not  have  been,  because 
the  room  was  small  and  the  only  unbroken  surfaces  of 
blue  were  the  two  small  rugs.  The  cretonne,  therefore, 
might  have  given  the  room  a  crowded,  restless  effect. 


COLOUR  AND  COLOUR-SCHEMES  199 

Much  better,  if  a  screen  were  required  in  this  case, 
would  be  one  of  which  the  covering  was  a  plain  related 
blue.  On  the  other  hand,  had  the  room  been  large, 
with  correspondingly  large  unbroken  surfaces  of  blue 
and  white,  the  cretonne  would  have  afforded  a  pleas- 
ant relief.  Here,  then,  other  questions  than  those  of 
colour  have  entered — those  of  space  and  quantity.  Its 
placing  would  also  have  to  be  taken  into  account,  so 
involving  the  question  of  balance.  "We  note,  therefore, 
simply  by  way  of  warning,  that  in  considering  one 
phase  of  decoration,  colour,  we  must  not  forget  others 
of  like  importance  and  must  not  be  carried  off  our  feet 
and  purchase  goods  themselves  delightful  in  their  col- 
our effect  but  inadvisable  in  other  respects  for  the  use 
we  wish  them  for. 

Bearing  in  mind  these  interesting  principles  we  can 
go  over  the  various  possible  colour-schemes  and  com- 
binations and  see  their  suitability  in  many  instances 
and  their  inadvisability  in  others,  treating  each  colour 
as  including  all  its  varying  shades  and  tones. 

COLOUR  IN  DECORATION 

WHITE  AND  BLACK 

White,  not  properly  a  colour,  is  here  mentioned 
first  of  all,  and  for  that  very  reason.  It  is  both  a 
neutral  and  a  universal  harmoniser.  From  the  dec- 
orator's point  of  view  we  should  consider  as  "whites" 
not  only  pure  white  but  all  the  varying  shades,  such  as 
grey,  cream,  ashes  of  rose,  etc.,  which  are  too  light 
to  be  properly  classed  under  those  names. 

White  is  also  first  taken  up  because  walls  and  ceil- 
ings are  first  to  be  considered  in  any  furnishing,  and 
for  this  purpose  light  shades  are  most  frequently  ad- 
visable. Of  these  shades  the  whites,  alone  or  in  com- 
bination, are  among  the  very  best.  Their  own  beauty 


200  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

and  adaptability  are  a  sufficient  recommendation,  but 
they  possess  the  further  advantage  of  relieving  too 
great  adherence  to  a  given  colour-scheme.  There  is  no 
reason,  for  instance,  why  a  blue  room  should  be  all 
blue,  and  proclaim  the  instant  one  enters  it:  "Yes,  I 
am  Blue;  indubitably,  unmistakably  Blue."  The  use 
for  walls  of  one  of  the  white  or  light  tones  in  such  a 
case  relieves  a  scheme  which  otherwise  would  be  arti- 
ficial and  oppressive.  It  is  quite  sufficient  that 
dominant  note  of  a  room  should  be  of  the  selected  col- 
our without  that  colour  running  riot. 

Walls  in  l '  the  whites ' '  will  be  treated  in  detail  un- 
der that  section.  The  same  tones  are  of  eminent  use 
for  wood-work  and  curtains  and  will  be  discussed  under 
those  heads. 

White  in  combination  with  black  recently  amounted 
to  a  fashionable  craze.  The  combination  is  rather  too 
startling  for  a  room  continually  occupied  but  may  have 
its  uses.  A  reception  room  with  black  and  white 
striped  paper  of  not  too  violent  a  pattern,  and  black 
lacquered  or  painted  furniture  upholstered  in  Chinese 
or  other  gorgeous  fabric  would  be  effective  and  not 
unduly  outre.  Some  of  the  cretonnes  with  black  and 
white  stripes  broken  by  groups  of  roses  in  conventional 
form  are  very  attractive,  and  black  alone  makes  the 
best  possible  background  for  flowered  cretonnes,  bring- 
ing out  the  colours  with  effect  and  charm,  and  being 
exceedingly  sensible,  as  it  does  not  readily  soil. 

White  in  juxtaposition  with  colours  heightens  their 
\    effect  and  raises  their  key,  while  black  reduces  and 
lowers  them. 


YELLOW,  ORANGE  AND  BROWN 

As  previously  seen,  yellow  stands  for  light  and  in 
its  pure  shades  makes  for  cheerfulness  in  rooms  which 


COLOUR  AND  COLOUR-SCHEMES  201 

tiav_e_jHii  moderate  sunlight.  By  the  same  token,  in 
strongly  lighted  rooms  it  makes  for  glare.  If  used  in 
such  rooms,  therefore,  the  quieter  shades  of  yellow, 
such  as  buff  and  tan,  are  usually  chosen.  Quietness 
need  never  mean  dullness,  but  in  household  practice  it 
too  frequently  does.  We  have  previously  inveighed 
against  the  deadness  of  many  American  homes;  is  it 
from  simple  inertia  or  from  incapacity  for  any  origi- 
nality that  so  many  rooms  exist  with  walls  of  dead  and 
dull  mustard-colour  oatmeal  paper,  which  absorbs  all 
light  as  a  sponge  does  moisture;  rugs  and  portieres 
in  perhaps  a  darker  and  still  duller  shade,  "relieved" 
perchance  with  brown  or  sickly  cream.  Frequently 
added  to  this  is  Mission  furniture  in  the  dullest  of  oak, 
and  leather  cushions  of  the  same  hue,  unrelieved  by  any 
ray  of  brightness,  a  veritable  symphony  of  mud  and 
mustard!  If  any  reader  is  unfortunately  possessed 
of  such  a  room  we  trust  he  will  make  speed  to  import 
into  it  some  notes  of  strong  orange  or  blue  as  pre- 
viously suggested ;  but  in  newly  furnishing  let  us  point 
out  the  better  way.  If  one  wishes  to  use  a  quiet  shade 
of  buff,  etc.,  there  is  no  objection  to  quietness  if  it  has 
life,  i.e.,  enough  yellow  or  orange  in  its  composition  to 
avoid  the  deadness  which,  all  considered,  is  really  a 
note  of  the  "ordinary"  and  the  "neutral." 

But  quiet  tones  in  even  an  highly  lighted  room  are 
not  of  absolute  necessity.  It  is  to  be  remembered  that 
there  are  always  such  things  as  awnings,  shades,  Vene- 
tian blinds  and  curtains  rich  and  heavy  enough  to  mod- 
ify and  diffuse  a  garish  light  to  a  happy  glow.  With 
such  a  light  it  is  therefore  possible,  if  one  wishes,  to 
employ  tones  of  orange,  buff,  gold  or  Chinese  yellow, 
all  making  for  life  and  cheerfulness. 

These  tones  go  well  with  golden  or  dark  oak,  with 
mahogany,  walnut,  ivory  or  painted  furniture,  so  that 


202  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

the  yellows  are  among  the  most  desirable  shades  for 
furnishing.  It  is  well,  however,  not  to  let  this  colour 
—or  any  other — "run  away"  with  one.  A  mingling 
with  other  harmonising  and  pleasantly  contrasting  col- 
ours is  advisable  in  some  of  the  draperies  or  in  the 
various  objects  of  ornament  a  room  contains,  so  as  to 
obviate  the  artificial  air  always  given  by  an  apartment 
too  definitely  of  one  colour.  This  is  notably  the  case 
with  a  strong  yellow,  for  it  is  unbecoming  to  some  com- 
plexions and  does  not  invariably  form  the  best  back- 
ground for  the  dress  of  modern  women. 

The  browns  are  derivatives  from  yellow  mixed  with 
red  and  some  blue.  There  are  many  attractive  shades, 
and  brown  velour  for  hangings  is  rich  and  handsome. 
The  colour  should,  however,  be  sparingly  used,  as  it 
makes  for  darkness  and  dullness. 

EED  AND  ITS  DEKIVATIVES 

In  its  proper  shades  and  proper  proportions  red  is 
of  eminent  value  in  interior  decoration.  An  all  red 
room  is  too  suggestive  of  the  infernal  regions  for  sane 
and  cultured  folk.  Perhaps  the  frieze  of  raw  green 
which  so  often  accompanies  such  apartments  is  in- 
tended as  an  off-set  reference  to  the  Elysian  Fields. 

The  distinction  has  already  been  drawn  between 
the  true  and  vermilion  reds.  Both  have  their  value, 
but  that  of  the  former  is  much  wider  in  its  application. 
Indeed,  in  this  prismatic  red  in  its  slightly  greyed  hue 
of  soft  crimson,  often  seen  in  old  silk  shawls,  and  in 
its  lightened  tone  of  rose,  we  have  one  of  the  most  use- 
ful and  one  of  the  loveliest  colour  resources  of  the 
decorator  and  the  home-maker.  .The  deep  hues  have 
vitality  and  warmth,  and  so  are  most  suitable  for  city 
use.  Eose  has  an  enlivening  and  human  quality  with- 


COLOUR  AND  COLOUR-SCHEMES  203 

out  the  heat  of  the  stronger  shades,  and  so  in  proper 
quantities  may  anywhere  be  used.  As  red  in  any  shade 
is  an  advancing  colour  its  just  proportions  are  natur- 
ally much  less  than  of  such  a  retiring  shade  as  soft 
green  and  a  comparatively  small  quantity  will  make  it 
dominant  where  desirable.  Reference  to  the  descrip- 
tion of  an  apartment  in  the  subsequent  section  on 
"Unity  and  Variety"  will  show  a  good  management 
of  such  a  scheme. 

The  soft  crimsons  above  referred  to  and  the  soft 
shades  of  rose  are  excellent  in  solid  colours  with  a 
stripe  or  pattern  in  the  weave  for  upholstering,  por- 
tieres, and  the  like.  Baby  pink  is  weak  and  character- 
less and  its  use  even  for  the  young  girl's  room  cannot  be 
commended.  Far  better  for  this  purpose  would  be  walls 
in  some  one  of  "the  whites"  with  cretonnes  in  a  dainty 
French  striped  or  flowered  pattern  of  rose  and  blue, 
with  perhaps  a  trifle  of  mauve,  on  a  white  or  cream 
ground.  This  with  ivory-white  or  mahogany  or  painted 
furniture  makes  a  charming  combination.  Grey  and 
rose  is  another  attractive  and  feminine  colour-scheme. 

In  a  happy  blending  with  other  colours  in  cretonne 
and  other  fabrics,  reds  have  some  of  their  most  emi- 
nent values.  If  we  are  to  use  colour  for  beauty,  for 
cheer,  for  delight — and  our  lives  might  be  much  more 
enriched  by  it  than  at  present — it  will  be  found  that  it 
is  by  such  happy  combinations  and  blendings  rather 
than  in  the  laying  on  of  colour  in  masses  that  our  object 
will  be  gained. 

The  vermilion  red  is  most  useful  for  accents  for 
out-of-doors  employment.  A  few  porch  chairs  of  this 
colour,  a  hammock,  or  a  small  quantity  of  vermilion  on 
a  tent  gives  a  festive  touch,  in  relief  to  the  masses  of 
green  in  grass  and  foliage. 


204  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

BLUBS 

There  are  -entrancing  tones  of  blue,  the  employment 
of  which  amply  justifies  the  popularity  of  this  colour 
in  decorative  use.  There  are,  however,  other  shades 
of  coldness  or  hardness  of  which  one  can  only  say: 
beware. 

Furthermore,  there  is  another  difficulty  in  the  use 
of  blue  to  which  attention  must  be  called.  Both  men 
and  women  artistically  inclined  must  have  noticed  in 
the  matter  of  personal  attire  how  hard  it  is  to  secure 
blue  shades  which  "go  together."  With  yellows  there 
is  not  this  difficulty ;  yellows  which  are  even  quite  dif- 
ferent in  hue  often  harmonise  well;  various  shades  of 
red  do  not  always  dwell  happily  together;  yet  neither 
of  these  colours  present  the  difficulty  of  blue,  where  a 
very  slight  difference  in  tone  often  is  enough  to  result 
in  discord.  The  present  writers  believe  that  they  are 
the  first  to  point  out  the  extreme  sensitiveness  of  the 
colour  blue  in  this  respect,  and  they  are  glad  to  pass 
on  the  warning  to  their  readers. 

"We  may  go  further — let  us  take,  for  instance,  one  of 
the  loveliest  colour  schemes  which  the  colour-loving 
soul  of  man  has  yet  devised,  old  blue  and  old  ivory — 
a  room  panelled  or  papered  in  ivory  white,  Louis  Seize 
furniture  painted  in  old  ivory  and  upholstered  in  old 
blue,  with  gold  picture  frames  and  candlesticks  of  the 
period.  It  is  of  the  greatest  beauty ;  it  is,  as  the  French 
would  say,  "of  an  elegance,"  but  does  it  not  lack 
humanity?  It  is  not  the  elegance  which  proves  the 
obstacle,  for  if  we  painted  simple  cottage  furniture  in 
the  same  tone  of  ivory,  upholstered  it  in  an  inexpensive 
material  of  the  same  old  blue,  and  laid  cotton  rugs  of 
the  same  hue  on  the  floor,  the  result  would  inevitably  be 
the  same;  it  is  the  nature  of  the  blue;  for  if  it  is  cool  it 
is  also  a  trifle  cold — unloving.  But  let  one  take  into 


COLOUR  AND  COLOUR-SCHEMES  205 

either  of  these  rooms  a  bowl  of  roses  (not  the  purplish 
American  Beauty  but  the  true  rose  shade,  mingled  per- 
haps with  cream)  and  we  have  an  harmony  which  not 
only  sings  but  which  makes  the  room  a  place  in  which 
to  live. 

The  artistically  sensitive  French  knew  this,  and 
continually  we  find  them  mingling  with  their  blue  either 
rose  or  its  lighter  shade  of  pink,  or  else  old  gold,  which 
is  not  quite  so  good  for  the  purpose. 

With  these  reservations,  blue  may  be  heartily  com- 
mended, especially  in  its  greyed,  medium  and  peacock 
shades.  It  is  admirably  adapted  for  country  and  sea- 
side use,  and  as  previously  noted,  in  proper  com- 
bination it  possesses  refinement  and  elegance. 

If  baby  pink  cannot  be  recommended  neither  can 
baby  blue — both  seem  to  indicate  a  "silliness." 

GREEN 

Green  is  another  of  the  retiring  colours.  It  is  also 
cool  in  many  shades,  but  naturally  not  so  much  so  as 
the  blue  which  enters  into  its  composition  and  which  is 
partially  neutralised  by  its  other  component,  yellow. 
If  a  greater  proportion  of  yellow  is  introduced  it  be- 
comes warmer  and  more  advancing,  according  to  the 
quantity  added.  As  (we  write  it  reverently)  The 
Great  Decorator  of  the  World  has  used  these  two  col- 
ours of  blue  and  green  in  sky  and  sea  and  vegetation, 
we  must  recognise  their  appropriateness  in  larger 
masses  than  with  the  reds,  and  yellows,  and  brighter 
blues  in  which  He  paints  the  flowers. 

As  will  be  seen  in  the  section  on  "Unity  and 
Variety"  really  bright  colours  are  not  advisable  for 
walls  and  ceilings.  A  green  of  considerable  strength 
may,  however,  so  be  used  and  "Chelsea"  green  was 
much  in  vogue  for  panelled  walls  in  Queen  Anne's  time. 


206  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

Green  is  an  eminently  suitable  colour  in  its  soft  tones 
for  rugs  and  portieres.  The  violent  hues  seen  in  some 
cheap  goods  have  no  place  anywhere  in  decoration. 
Olive  green  is  rich  and  handsome;  but,  like  brown,  it 
must  be  employed  in  moderation  if  heaviness  is  to  be 
avoided.  Blue  greens  are  frequently  used  in  painted 
furniture  and  when  sufficiently  relieved  with  other  col- 
ours are  excellent  for  this  purpose.  It  may  be  said  that 
green  universally  needs  relief;  while  a  thoroughly 
wholesome  colour  as  a  background  and  in  combination, 
an  all  green  room  would  be  almost  unbearable  in  its 
influence,  even  in  the  lighter  shades.  We  feel  the  need 
of  enhancing  yellow,  orange,  or  rose. 

Soft  green,  white,  and  rose  is  an  excellent  colour- 
scheme  employed  by  some  British  decorators  with 
great  success  (Plate  64)  and  too  seldom  used  here. 

Blue  may  also  be  used  with  green  if  the  shades 
of  both  are  right. 

Of  all  colours  there  are  vivid  hues  which  in  small 
quantities  may  be  effectively  and  beautifully  blended 
with  other  vivid  colours.  One  of  these  shades  is  Paris 
green.  We  have  seen  this  combined  with  vivid  rose 
in  a  pair  of  Chinese  slippers.  But  the  Chinese  are  mas- 
ters of 'colour:  perhaps  some  day  we  shall  know  colour 
as  they  do.  Meanwhile,  the  Anglo-Saxon  who  looks 
down  upon  them  may  sit  at  their  feet  and  learn. 

VIOLET,   MAUVE   AND   MULBERRY 

As  will  later  be  seen  Violet  is  a  heavily  worked 
colour  in  the  " Newer"  decoration,  elsewhere  it  is  not 
so  greatly  employed  as  others. 

We  sometimes  see  rather  effective  rooms  for  women 
in  its  lighter  shade  of  mauve.  There  is  a  dullish,  red- 
dish mauve  used  in  the  new  French  decorations  and 


COLOUR  AND  COLOUR-SCHEMES  207 

we  have  seen  wall-paper  in  this  shade  striped  with 
greyish  white.  With  textiles  of  the  same  shade  of 
mauve  much  might  be  done,  as  it  is  a  firmer  and  less 
feminine  hue  than  the  usual  shade. 

Mulberry  is  a  violet  so  filled  with  red  that  perhaps 
it  might  better  have  been  included  under  that  colour. 
It  is  dark  and  rich,  and  if  used  with  a  sufficient  quan- 
tity of  lighter  colouring  is  handsome  for  draperies. 
Care  should  be  used  in  selection,  for  under  artificial 
light  some  shades  of  mulberry  look  brown. 

THE  GREYS 

Normal  grey  is  a  fusion  of  equal  powers  of  the  three 
primary  colours,  yellow,  red  and  blue.  But  if  there 
is  an  excess  of  any  one  or  two  of  these  the  tone  would 
naturally  lean  toward  the  colour  or  colours  in  excess,  so 
that  there  are  really  numerous  hues  of  grey.  The 
warm  greys  are  naturally  therefore  those  which  have 
a  yellowish  or  pinkish  tone,  while  those  of  .bluish  on 
greenish  cast  are  cool. 

Greys  are  preeminently  useful  as  backgrounds,  i.e., 
for  walls  and  ceilings,  and  of  great  value  in  the  ming- 
ling of  various  colours  in  cretonnes  and  other  fabrics ; 
with  green  and  blue,  it  prevents  the  hotness  which 
would  result  from  too  much  red  or  yellow. 

Occasionally  it  is  employed  for  the  coverings  of 
settees  and  chairs,  and  certain  shades  go  well  with 
ivory  or  gold  furniture,  the  combination  being  of  great 
refinement  and  elegance.  In  such  cases,  however,  grey 
like  blue  requires  the  presence  of  rose  or  yellow  to  give 
relief. 

The  cream-grey  of  linen  furniture-covering  is  cool 
and  refreshing  in  the  heat  of  summer,  but  not  everyone 
realises  how  much  the  effect  will  be  improved  if  a  few 


208  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

coloured  objects,  such  as  couch  pillows,  etc.,  are  left 
out  to  give  relief.  It  would  hardly  seem  needful  to 
point  out  what  a  bowl  of  flowers  will  do  in  this  respect 
and  yet  how  often  do  we  see  country  houses  with  abun- 
dant blooms  without  and  ne  'er  a  flower  within. 

While  probably,  if  pressed  for  a  close  statement, 
such  a  theory  would  be  disclaimed,  some  writers  who 
philosophise  upon  the  subject  of  colour  seem  to  con- 
vey the  impression  in  portions  of  their  text  that  the 
qualities  of  colours  are  due  to  their  association — that 
green  and  "blue,  for  instance,  are  quiet  and  refreshing 
because  we  associate  them  with  vegetation  and  the 
sky.  Such  a  theory  would  be  a  distinct  errour.  Doubt- 
less these  associations  may  have  caused  a  quicker  ap- 
prehension and  heightening  of  those  qualities  in  the 
human  mind ;  but,  as  indubitably,  every  true  colourist 
realises  that,  apart  from  any  association  whatever,  the 
qualities  we  have  mentioned  are  inherently  possessed 
by  the  colours. 

The  distinction  is  of  much  importance,  because  we 
must  realise  that  in  dealing  with  colour  we  are  not  em- 
ploying mere  symbolism  but  are  handling  media  whose 
character  is  fixed  and  known. 

It  is  perhaps  because  of  such  cloudiness  of  state- 
ment as  we  have  noted  that  "practical  people"  who 
know  the  actualities  of  steel,  for  instance,  and  respect 
the  builder  of  the  bridge  or  the  skyscraper  for  its  use, 
often  feel  that  the  man  who  insists  upon  employing 
colour  in  a  way  fully  as  appropriate  for  his  purposes  is 
but  "fanciful  and  foolish." 

The  simple  fact  is  that  no  branch  of  human  endeav- 
our is  more  firmly  based  upon  principles  of  eternal 
truth  than  is  Art. 


PLATE  58 


A  STUDY  IN  VALUES 

The  Overmantel  Painting  and  the  Cabinet  are  of  the  Same  Value:   The  Mantel  and  Vase  Likewise 

Agree,  in  a  Different  Value:  The  Walls  are  Between  the  Two  in  Value 

Courtesy  of  Mrs.  Lynoan  Kendall 


COLOUR  AND  COLOUR-SCHEMES  209 

COLOUR  AS  DICTATED  BY  PERIODS  AND  STYLES 

It  should  be  remembered  that  in  certain  periods  cer- 
tain colours,  patterns,  and  textiles  were  most  used  with 
the  interiors  and  furniture  of  those  periods.  These 
have  all  been  duly  treated  under  those  periods  in  Part 
I  of  this  book,  and  if  a  period  furnishing  is  to  be  fol- 
lowed, should  be  thoroughly  studied. 

These  details  will  not  usually  be  found  hampering, 
as  goods  in  appropriate  textures  and  colours  may 
nearly  always  be  had  sufficiently  near  to  the  period  use 
to  be  appropriate. 

It  should  be  remembered  that  with  dark-panelled 
walls  full-bodied  colour  was  naturally  used  as  relief. 

VALUE 

So  far,  the  term  value  has  not  been  used,  and  yet 
the  thing  itself  has  virtually  been  dealt  with  in  our 
discussions  regarding  colour  and  will  necessarily  occur 
again  and  again  throughout  this  volume.  It  might  con- 
versationally be  denned  as  the  lightness  or  darkness  of 
objects  irrespective  of  their  colour.  To  illustrate,  sup- 
pose we  have  before  us  two  samples  of  goods,  one  a  tur- 
quoise blue  and  the  other  a  crimson.  Now,  putting 
aside  for  a  moment  all  question  of  colour,  we  at  once 
see  that  relatively  the  first  is  light  and  the  second  is 
dark — these  are  the  "  values  "  of  those  respective 
pieces  of  goods.  A  study  in  values  is  given  in  Plate  58. 

The  question  of  value  comes  into  decoration  in  the 
form  of  contrast.  We  may  think  of  introducing  a  cer- 
tain object  into  the  furnishing  of  a  room;  its  colour 
may  be  perfectly  satisfactory,  but  when  we  try  the 
effect  we  may  find  that  the  object  is  so  light  or  so  dark 
that  it  separates  itself  from  all  others  and  "  jumps " 
at  us.  Its  "value"  therefore  is  too  high  or  too  low  for 
the  room. 

14 


210  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

SCALE 

Scale  in  colour  is  a  proper  correspondence  in  the 
intensity  of  the  colours  used.  An  absolute  correspon- 
dence would  be  either  the  use  of  all  the  colours  in  their 
strongest  hues  or  else  a  greying  of  them  all  in  a  like 
degree.  Such  correspondence  as  this  makes  for  har- 
mony— and  also  for  monotony.  A  total  want  of  cor- 
respondence makes  for  entire  incongruity.  Let  us 
exemplify — as  to  the  first,  a  whole  room  done  in  pastel 
shades,  all  equally  greyed,  would  be  uninteresting  to 
the  last  degree.  As  to  the  second :  bring  into  another 
room,  in  which  the  textiles  are  precious  antiques  of 
quite  sufficient  but  time-softened  colour,  a  new  cushion 
of  raw,  untamed  red-orange  or  brilliant  blue — and  you 
bring  disaster.  The  existing  beautiful  tones  would  be 
" killed"  by  the  new  arrival,  and  of  that  itself  we 
should  immediately  exclaim:  "Take  it  away;  it  is  all 
out  of  scale!" 

Entire  correspondence  or  entire  dissonance  should 
therefore  be  avoided  and  an  harmonising  but  not  equal 
degree  of  intensity  decided  upon.  The  reason  for  this 
is  plain.  Some  accent  is  needed  for  relief  and  contrast, 
but  over  accent  simply  produces  disturbance.  We 
have,  it  is  true,  the  contrast  of  the  colours  themselves, 
but  to  avail  ourselves  of  the  whole  gamut  of  colour  we 
should  add  a  proper  degree  of  contrast  in  their  intensi- 
ties also. 

A  quiet  or  soft  colouring  is  one  in  which  most  of 
the  tones  are  greyed,  with  a  few  of  somewhat  greater 
strength :  a  brilliant  colouring  is  one  in  which  most  of 
the  colours  are  high  with  a  few  of  somewhat  lesser  in- 
tensity: and  necessarily  th.ere  is  a  succession  of  de- 
grees between.  The  degree  decided  upon  is  the  pitch 
or  "key. 

And  not  only  may  a  certain  key  of  colour  exist  in 


COLOUR  AND  COLOUR-SCHEMES  211 

an  individual  fabric,  but  throughout  a  room  full  of 
them :  and  the  same  plan  of  accent  ffiax^there  also  pre- 
vail. Many  decorators,  for  instance,  use  in  general 
fabrics  of  soft  colouring — because  they  ar^^aturally 
harmonious  and  easy  to  manage — and  then  "key  up  the 
room"  with  a  few  notes  of  more  intense  but  not  incon- 
gruous colour  with  perhaps  a  black  satin  cushion  or 
two  to  add  to  the  contrast.  But  if  one  has  a  proper 
colour-sense  it  is  not  necessary  to  "play  safe"  to  this 
degree — the  Orientals  have  never  found  it  obligatory  to 
be  anaemic  in  order  to  be  harmonious.  We  may  take  the 
cue  from  them  and  from  the  age  of  Louis  Quinze,  when 
colouring  was  exquisite  but  nevertheless  in  good  strong 
tones — in  tones,  however,  not  in  raw  and  undiluted 
rainbow  hues. 

THE  PROPORTIONS  OP  COLOURS 

The  proportions  in  which  the  respective  colours  in  a 
colour-scheme  should  be  used  have  been  given  and  we 
may  mention  those  in  a  particular  harmony: 

Sage  %,  slate  and  citron  ^  each,  green  &  and 
blue  and  yellow  &  each.* 

Such  examples  are  useful  as  indicating  the  large 
amount  of  neutral  tone  as  opposed  to  stronger  hues 
commonly  advisable;  especially  for  amateurs  in  fur- 
nishing and  those  who  have  not  a  strongly  developed 
colour-sense.  It  would  manifestly  be  absurd,  however, 
to  attempt  to  apply  in  practice  such  tables  literally  or 
in  any  "rule  of  thumb"  manner,  measuring  off  so  many 
square  feet  to  be  in  such  a  colour,  so  many  in  another, 
and  so  on.  As  there  is  nothing  like  actual  demonstra- 
tion let  us  try  it  and  see. 

The  proportions  in  each  instance  are  based  on  the 
normal  colours,  and  the  moment  these  are  departed 


*  Color  Value,  by  C.  R.  Clifford. 


212  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

from  the  conditions  are  changed.  In  the  example  given 
the  green  would  (from  its  quantity)  naturally  be  em- 
ployed in  the  textiles — furniture-coverings,  curtains  and 
door-hangings.  We  should  hope  that  no  one  would  use 
for  these  the  unadulterated  prismatic  green,  yet  that  is 
the  hue  provided  for  in  the  above  proportion-table.  A 
modified  green  would,  of  course,  be  chosen,  and  accord- 
ing to  the  extent  of  its  modification  so  could  a  larger 
proportion  of  this  colour  be  employed  with  a  conse- 
quent reduction  of  the  amount  of  whichever  neutral  the 
modification  impinged  upon. 

Ceilings  usually  approximate  white,  and  wood- 
work and  sash  curtains  are  very  frequently  white;  in 
such  cases,  then,  we  have  the  intrusion  of  another  neu- 
tral, still  further  lessening  the  necessity,  at  least,  for 
the  employment  of  so  great  a  body  of  sage,  slate  and 
citron. 

But  more  important  still  is  the  advisability  (not 
reckoned  with  in  the  proportion  table)  of  introducing 
other  colour.  There  has  been  entirely  too  much  of  this 
"keying  and  relating"  of  quiet  tones,  resulting  in  the 
reaction  of  the  modernists  who  in  some  phases  have 
run  riot  in  the  contrary  direction.  Let  us  be  both  scien- 
tific and  sane.  To  stick  to  our  example  the  general 
effect  of  a  room  in  this  colour-scheme  would  be  green- 
ish, and  the  relieving  strong  colours  yellow  and  blue 
also  equal  green.  Now  the  complementary  of  green  is 
red,  and  the  complementary  should  always  be  intro- 
duced to  give  relief.  There  should,  therefore,  be  some 
touches  somewhere  of  a  modified  red,  such  as  rose, 
garnet  or  the  like.  Look  at  the  blue  and  yellow  scheme 
with  a  touch  of  rose  in  Plate  63:  now  lay  a  piece  of 
white  paper  over  the  rose  and  see  how  the  scheme  im- 
mediately "goes  dead." 

And  with  all  the  exemplifications  of  the  past,  why  in 


COLOUR  AND  COLOUR-SCHEMES  213 

the  name  of  art  should  we  confine  ourselves  to  the  pov- 
erty-stricken colour-combinations  we  so  often  see? 
We  might  sometimes  think  from  these  that  blended 
colour  does  not  exist.  Consider  the  frescoes  and  tap- 
estries and  banners,  the  glorious  needlework,  velvets 
and  brocades  from  the  Renaissance  to  the  days  of  Louis 
Seize;  visit  the  museums  and  observe  the  wonders  of 
Oriental  art:  look  at  the  indications  of  colour  evident 
even  through  the  medium  of  half-tone  reproduction  in 
such  an  interior  as  Plate  139  and  in  such  textiles  as 
are  shown  in  Plates  130  A,  143  B,  144,  145  A,  B  and  C, 
152  B,  162  A  and  B.  We  may  then  realise  what  colour 
has  been  and  may  be  again ! 

The  secret  of  the  decorative  effect  of  blended  colour 
is  an  open  and  very  simple  one.  Let  us  take,  for  ex- 
ample, a  picture  or  a  piece  of  textile.  The  hues  of 
either  may  be  of  much  variety  and  even  brilliant  in 
themselves,  but  to  a  great  extent  they  complement  and 
thus  neutralise  each  other,  some  one  colour,  however, 
being  dominant.  If  we  look  at  a  picture  or  a  fabric, 
then,  we  shall  see  two  results — if  good  it  counts  as  a 
beautiful  piece  of  blended  colour;  nevertheless  its  total 
effect  is  not  a  confusion  but  is  generally  neutral,  with 
red,  yellow  or  another  hue  somewhat  in  ascendanc)* 
over  the  rest.  This  explains  why  we  may,  if  we  so  wish, 
use  an  immense  deal  of  colour  provided  it  is  properly 
balanced. 

UNITY  AND  VARIETY  IN  HOUSEHOLD  DECORATION 

The  improvement  in  household  decoration  is  one 
of  the  most  encouraging  signs  of  American  artistic  de- 
velopment, but  in  many  instances  it  is  but  partial :  only 
in  the  case  of  the  most  widely  cultured,  or  those  em- 
ploying the  best  decorators,  can  it  be  called  complete. 
Most  reforms  begin  in  the  same  manner;  the  improve- 


214  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

ment  at  first  is  usually  one  of  details,  finally  sweeping 
on  to  tlieir  proper  end. 

Household  decoration  in  this  country,  then,  began 
with  the  room  as  its  unit,  whereas  the  proper  concep- 
tion is  the  house,  or  apartment,  as  the  unit,  each  room 
being  merely  an  integral  part  of  a  consistent  whole. 
The  faulty  point  of  view  so  largely  obtaining  has  usu- 
ally resulted  in  disunity — greater  or  less  in  degree 
according  to  the  taste  of  the  gwner.  To  the  average 
householder,  and  equally  the  average  decorator,  the 
thought  of  complete  consistency  in  decoration  has 
hardly  occurred,  and  when  it  has  the  result  has  been  at 
the  expense  of  the  equally  desirable  and  necessary 
variety.  It  will  be  the  purpose  of  the  present  section 
to  point  out,  and  for  the  first  time,  how  both  may  be 
obtained. 

DISUNITY 

"What  then  is  the  disunity  against  which  our  atten- 
tion should  be  directed?  Let  us  at  once  realise  that  a 
home,  a  club-house  or  even  a  hotel  is  not  to  be  a  con- 
geries of  rooms  of  various  styles,  characters  or  colour- 
ings :  it  is  an  entity,  and  if  in  the  final  result  we  do  not 
feel  it  to  be  such  then  there  is  disunity. 

Happily  the  day  is  past  when  we  have  such  ex- 
amples as  "Harthover,"  amusingly  described  in  "The 
"Water-Babies,"  where  the  third  floor  was  Norman,  the 
second  cinquecento,  the  first  Elizabethan,  the  right  wing 
Pure  Doric  and  the  back  staircase  from  the  Taj  Mahal, 
but  unfortunately  we  may  still  cite  such  examples  as 
the  f  ollowing-^-examples  that  would  be  unthinkable  at 
the  hands  of  the  best  men  but  which  are  not  beyond  the 
perpetration  of  some  whose  establishments  bear  the 
sign  "Interior  Decorators."  The  hall  wall  then,  say, 
is  of  a  greenish-gray  sand-finish,  and  the  furniture 
of  mahogany.  In  open  view  at  the  left  is  the  library, 


215 

in  Tudor  style,  with  panelled  walls  and  bookcases  of 
dark  oak  and  with  upholstery  and  hangings  of  a  deep 
crimson  red.  On  the  right  is  the  drawing-room,  with 
walls  of  yellow  damask,  and  Louis  Seize  furniture  in 
ivory-white,  covered  in  the  yellow  of  the  walls.  At  the 
rear  we  discover  the  hospitable  dining-room  papered 
in  blue,  with  its  festive' board  and  other  furniture  in 
quartered  oak  of  golden  hue.  Each  one  of  these  rooms 
may  be  consistent  in  itself — but  fancy  the  prospect  to 
the  visitor  entering  the  hall  and  from  his  point  of  van- 
tage glancing  about  at  the  disunity  opened  before  him 
in  these  four  rooms. 

Even  if  the  construction  of  the  house  made  it  pos- 
sible for  us  to  view  but  one  of  these  rooms  at  a  time 
the  result  would  intrinsically  be  nearly  as  bad,  because 
one's  optical  memory  is  not  so  short  that  the  character 
of  one  room  is  forgotten  in  passing  into  the  hall  and 
on  into  another  room. 

We  may  still  say  that  there  are  builders  who  are  not 
architects,  that  there  are  artisans  who  are  not  artists. 

THE  IDEAL, 

The  most  certain  method  of  improvement  in  any 
direction  is  the  keeping  before  us  of  an  ideal;  or,  to 
phrase  it  in  our  more  modern  way,  the  scheme  of  "what 
we  are  after,"  and  that  scheme  must  be  firmly  based 
upon  the  facts  and  circumstances. 

The  home,  to  suit  the  requirements  of  modern  life, 
must  possess  two  sets  of  qualities.  On  the  one  hand 
our  aim  should  be  to  secure  a  restful  habitation,  not  a 
museum  or  a  melange.  The  watchwords  here  may  be 
rest,  peace,  sleep.  On  the  other  hand  we  are  living, 
active  human  beings,  fond  of  variety  and  filled  with 
many  interests.  These  may  be  comprised  in  the  words 
cheer,  action,  companionship.  Our  homes  must  express 


216  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

both.  The  first  means  unity :  the  second  variety.  How 
shall  we  accomplish  the  securing  of  the  one  without 
sacrificing  the  other? 

UNITY 

Unity  must  exist  in  many  directions  but  one  of  the 
most  important  of  these  is  colour — and  it  is  one  of  those 
most  frequently  violated.  Unity  in  its  other  relations 
will  be  considered  in  other  chapters. 

As  shown  in  the  chapter  on  " Walls:  as  Decoration 
and  as  Background,"  neutral  backgrounds  are  by  no 
means  a  necessity;  they  are,  however,  largely  employed 
by  all  good  decorators  and  certainly  much  simplify  the 
work  of  the  person  superintending  his  own  furnishing. 
Indeed,  when  we  consider  the  following  line  of  thought 
regarding  backgrounds,  it  will  be  plain  that  treating 
the  walls  of  a  series  of  rooms  in  other  than  a  rather 
neutral  manner  will  land  the  amateur  among  problems 
which  while  susceptible  of  solution  he  might  find  be- 
yond his  management. 

BACKGKOUND 

I.  If  we  preserve  unity  in  the  background  (walls 
and  ceilings)  we  shall  then  have  a  basis  throughout 
the  house  which  will  act  as  a  balance  to  the  various 
other  colours  that  we  may  and  should  introduce  in 
attractively  furnishing  it.  Naturally  this  unity  does  not 
need  to  be  actual  identity;  it  will  suffice  where  rooms 
are  but  singly  visible  if  a  general  impression  be  kept. 
Where  rooms  communicate  it  is  certainly  better  that 
the  likeness  should  be  very  close :  if,  for  instance,  one 
is  panelled  it  would  be  better  that  both  should  be,  and 
that  the  tones  should  be  the  same  in  each.  If  the  walls 
are  painted  or  papered  the  general  tone  of  wall-surface 


COLOUR  AND  COLOUR-SCHEMES  217 

should  be  kept,  but  identity  is  not  necessary,  especially 
if  the  purpose  of  the  rooms  be  different. 

II.  A  moment's  practical  thought  will  show  us  that 
if  we  keep  this  unity  throughout  and  choose  any  strong 
colouring  for  our  walls,  we  should  have  a  definitely  yel- 
low, red,  blue,  green  or  purple  house — a  condition  which 
would  be  intolerable.    We  are  therefore  guided  to  the 
selection  of  a  more  neutral  colouring. 

III.  Neutrality  means  to  many — drabness.    To  the 
lover  of  beauty  it  means  some  of  the  most  beautiful 
tones   in   a  beautiful   world.    Among  these  are  the 
ivories,  champagne,  dull  gold,  creams,  buffs  and  certain 
tans ;  pinkish  grey  or  ashes  of  rose,  bluish  grey,  green- 
ish grey  and  mauve  grey,  or  the  combinations  of  these. 

FLOORS 

Some  good  decorators  also  extensively  use  rugs  of 
the  same  character,  or  at  least  general  colouring, 
throughout  the  house,  considering  the  floors  as  a  por- 
tion of  the  background  and  likewise  choosing  neutral 
shades  such  as  grey  and  taupe.  This  is  usually  unnec- 
essary and  involves  too  great  a  sacrifice  of  decorative 
opportunity. 

FURNISHINGS 

The  securing  of  unity  by  harmonious  and  closely 
related  backgrounds  is  much,  but  suppose  we  should 
now  proceed  to  fill  this  beautiful  shell  of  the  house, 
apartment  or  club-house  with  objects  of  many  incon- 
gruous hues !  Should  we  not  at  once  destroy  the  unity 
we  had  taken  such  pains  to  secure  f  And  yet,  speaking 
by  and  large,  there  is  usually  too  little  colour  in  Amer- 
ican and  British  homes  rather  than  too  much — and  the 
too  little  is  often  badly  used. 

The  truth  is  that  the  western  nations  have  greatly 
lost  their  colour-sense,  either  through  materialism, 


218  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

drabness  of  life,  or  what  other  defect  it  behooves  us  not 
to  argue  here. 

The  principles  of  colour  harmony  which  have  been 
mentioned  are  true  of  all  intensities  of  colour  and  are 
therefore  perfectly  adapted  to  any  of  the  three  ten- 
dencies in  decoration — as  has  been  mentioned  some 
decorators  use  in  general  quiet,  attenuated  shades  of 
colour  and  then  " key  up"  with  a  few  more  vivid  spots : 
others  use  tones  such  as  those  shown  in  the  colour- 
charts,  of  sufficient  vitality  and  yet  of  a  harmonising 
quality:  the  so-called  "Modern"  school,  considered  in 
the  next  section,  uses  strong  and  positive  colour.  The 
plan  which  will  be  suggested  is  of  equal  use  whichever 
degree  of  intensity  may  be  decided  upon. 

THE  USE  OF  COLOUR  IN  DECOKATION 

Blue  and  the  gpeens  which  contain  but  the  normal 
proportion  of  yellow  are  retiring  and  are  cool. 

All  shades  of  yellow  and  of  red,  except  those  largely 
neutralised  by  the  admixture  of  other  colours  or  o. 
black  or  of  white,  are  advancing  and  are  warm  in  tone. 

Suppose,  then,  we  place  in  a  room  with  neutral  back- 
ground rugs  of  a  soft  green  and  hang  portieres  of  the 
same  in  the  doorway.  So  far,  we  shall  have  a  room 
which  is  quiet,  cool  and  restful.  We  shall  also  find 
that  it  lacks  life,  and  in  continual  occupancy  would 
prove  somewhat  depressing  in  its  influence  over  mind 
and  body. 

If  the  reader  will  refer  to  Plate  59  he  will  find  a 
room  in  which  the  rugs  and  portieres  are  of  just  this 
character,  but  into  which  have  been  imported  a  few 
touches  of  rose.  The  depression  has  gone;  the  quiet 
remains ;  the  room  is  now  livable  and  "human."  These 
few  touches  of  rose  have  done  the  work. 

Furthermore,  although  these  touches  are  few  and 


PLATE  59 


THE  QUIET  ROOM 

From  the  Painting  by  Edward  Stratton  Holloway 
(Rose  Dominant  Over  Green) 


COLOUR  AND  COLOUR-SCHEMES  219 

although  rose  is  but  a  modified  red,  it  will  be  found 
that  the  rose  is  more  noticeable  than  the  green. 

If  yellow  and  blue  had  been  used  instead  of  rose 
and  green  the  result  in  these  respects  would  have  been 
much  the  same.  In  other  words  yellow,  orange  and 
red  are  dominant  over  green  and  blue  and  such  quiet 
shades  as  tans,  brown  and  greys. 

Shades  of  yellow  and  of  red,  and  their  combination 
orange  being  dominant,  if  we  choose  any  one  of  these 
shades  and  carry  it  by  the  use  of  various  objects  and 
furnishings  throughout  the  various  rooms  we  shall 
have  unity. 

We  may  use  then,  with  the  above,  other  and  quieter 
colours  alone  or  in  combination  in  the  different  rooms 
and  we  shall  have  variety. 

Let  us  take  a  concrete  example. 

The  illustration  (Plate  59)  was  painted  directly 
from  an  actual  bedroom  in  an  apartment.  How  shall 
unity  and  variety  be  carried  through  the  remaining 
rooms?  Let  us  take  up  each  in  detail. 

Reception  Room.*  Such  a  room  may  well  be  char- 
acterised by  greater  elegance  than  a  bedroom  and  yet 
should  preserve  an  inviting  and  companionable  at- 
mosphere rather  than  the  formal  frigidity  often  ex- 
perienced. Rose  having  been  selected  as  the  dominant 
(though  one  of  the  others  might  have  been  chosen  as 
well)  it  must  also  be  used  here,  and  as  it  possesses  both 
the  qualities  of  elegance  and  humanity  it  may  be  used 
in  considerable  quantity.  We  shall  need  ample  reliev- 
ing surface,  so  that  it  would  be  well  to  employ  a  panel- 

*  Conditions  of  living  are  changing  rapidly,  and  in  apartments  and 
new  small  houses  it  is  a  little  difficult  to  decide  upon  the  best  name  for 
what  is  properly  a  very  small  drawing-room  and  furnished  as  such.  That 
term  is  a  trifle  pretentious  for  a  room  of  that  size,  but  living-room  is 
scarcely  sufficiently  elegant,  and  there  is  often  a  living-room  in  addition. 
As  the  room  discussed  is  primarily  for  the  reception  of  friends,  reception- 
room  seems  as  appropriate  a  name  as  any. 


220  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

ling  in  ivory-white  or  else  a  handsome  paper  of  the 
same  general  tone,  striped  or  brocaded  in  the  surfacing 
and  not  in  another  colour.  The  bedroom  shown  in  the 
illustration  was  afterward  papered  in  this  tone  and 
two  rooms  so  carried  out  would  thus  harmonise  as  to 
the  wall  effect. 

We  should  also  have  ample  relieving  space  in  plain 
or  approximately  plain  colour.  Indeed,  in  choosing 
for  an  example  the  apartment,  or  the  equivalent  house 
with  small  rooms,  the  writers  have  consciously  chosen 
the  most  difficult  subject  with  which  to  deal.  The  dif- 
ficulty lies  in  the  fact  that  one  of  our  most  beautiful 
decorative  resources  is  the  rug  and  fabric  of  blended 
colouring,  but  as  these  cut  up  and  crowd  in  effect  the 
small  room  we  must  forbid  ourselves  the  use  of  these 
in  such  instances  or  choose  them  with  great  discretion. 
As  we  shall  have  much  colour  in  this  room  before  we 
have  finished,  it  would  be  wise  to  choose  one  rug, 
largely  covering  the  floor,  of  plain  warm  grey,  or  in 
two  tones  of  that  colour  closely  approaching  each  other 
and  in  small  and  simple  pattern,  or  plain  with  a  deeper 
border.  The  portieres  had  also  better  be  of  rather  solid 
color — a  rose  velvet,  a  brocade  of  unobtrusive  pattern 
or  the  less  expensive  rep  of  irregular  weave.  On  the 
chair-coverings  we  may  let  ourselves  go  considerably. 
For  these  we  may  select  preferably  perhaps  some  such 
material  as  the  stripe  shown  in  the  chart  or  a  blend 
of  various  colourings  in  which  rose  shall  be  dominant. 
This  fabric  might  be  of  cream,  rose  and  blue  stripe, 
not  too  wide  in  pattern,  or  of  tapestry,  or  petit  point, 
again  not  so  large  in  design  as  to  be  out  of  scale  with 
the  room  or  the  surfaces  covered.  If  there  is  a  sofa  or 
settee  it  would  naturally  have  the  same  covering  as 
the  chairs,  but  if  there  is  a  large  couch  instead  it 


PLATE  60 


o 

Is 


S.       •§' 


O  » 

" 


PLATE  61 


PLATE  62 


§• 


PLATE  63 


COLOUR  AND  COLOUR-SCHEMES  221 

would  be  better  to  use  a  plain  material  such  as  Bur- 
gundy rose  velour  and  again  let  ourselves  go  with  an 
abundance  of  varied  but  harmonious  cushions.  A  chart 
of  this  colour-scheme  is  given  in  Plate  60,  but  it  must 
be  remembered  that  in  all  these  charts  the  samples  of 
textiles  are  necessarily  much  out  of  proportion  to  the 
large  surfaces  of  walls  and  floors. 

The  lamp  had  better  be  of  vase  shape  in  grey  pot- 
tery, or  mottled  rose,  or  solid  black  with  a  reflecting 
surface,  or  of  Chinese  porcelain,  and  the  shade  in  rose 
silk.  The  black  bowl  is  exceedingly  effective  and  the 
rose  of  the  shade  reflects  in  its  upper  curves. 

In  any  room  relief  may  be  secured,  where  neces- 
sary, in  the  smaller  objects,  and  this'  relief  may  be 
either  in  the  direction  of  greater  neutrality  or  more 
colour.  Such  an  article  as  a  vase  of  ivory-white  or 
grey  porcelain  or  pottery  would  give  the  former,  a 
handsomely  tooled  binding  in  blue,  a  colourful  brocade 
or  Chinese  textile  or  embroidery  under  the  lamp  would 
aid  in  supplying  the  latter.  The  gold  or  silver  tones  of 
candlesticks,  etc.,  add  richness  and  variety. 

It  will  have  been  understood  from  the  above  de- 
scription that  there  is  not  only  no  intention  of  confining 
the  readers  to  the  materials  shown  in  the  charts  but 
that  they  may  go  far  afield  in  choice  provided  the  gen- 
eral colour-scheme  and  proportions  be  kept.  And  this 
is  true  of  tone  as  well  as  of  fabric,  for  it  may  be  con- 
siderably altered  so  that  harmony  is  preserved,  and 
the  shade  of  one  fabric  may  well  be  lighter  or  darker 
than  that  of  another.  The  same  effect  may  also  be 
carried  out  in  very  inexpensive  materials. 

Second  Bedroom.  If  this  room  communicates  with 
the  first  (a  portion  of  which  is  shown  in  Plate  59)  it 
should  by  all  means  be  in  the  same  colouring  of  green, 


222  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

rose  and  white.  This  does  not  presuppose  monotony 
but  harmony,  and  variety  may  be  gained  in  numerous 
other  ways :  in  the  disposition  of  the  furniture,  in  the 
treatment  of  the  bed  and  the  windows  and  in  the 
smaller  objects,  for  instance.  Other  small  variations 
may  be  made,  such  as  using  plain  or  self -figured  rose 
for  the  chairs,  instead  of  cretonne.  Indeed,  cretonne 
has  been  so  greatly  employed  of  late  years  that  re- 
straint in  this  respect  is.  advisable.  If  the  two  rooms 
do  not  communicate  we  may  use  blue  as  the  secondary 
colour,  and  of  this  scheme  a  colour  chart  is  given  (Plate 
61) .  The  paper  might  be  of  the  narrow  stripe  in  cream 
and  grey :  and  we  might  add  that  this  colour-combina- 
tion in  any  form  is  excellent  for  either  a  warm  or  cold 
exposure.  The  rugs  should  be  mainly  or  entirely  of 
blue.  The  chair-coverings  may  be  in  any  material 
(perhaps  tapestry)  giving  approximately  the  shades 
and  proportions  of  the  sample — the  blues  not  too 
bright  and  greater  in  quantity  than  the  rose.  Or  these 
coverings  may  be  in  rose  and  an  additional  supply  of 
blue  be  introduced  elsewhere  so  as  to  carry  it  through. 
A  room  is  a  picture  painted  with  materials  of  various 
sorts  instead  of  with  pigment,  and  the  principles  in 
both  arts  are  the  same — the  prominent  colours  should 
not  be  in  one  spot  of  each  only  but  be  judiciously  dis- 
tributed in  smaller  quantities  elsewhere  as  well.  A 
screen  might  be  in  blue,  or  better  still  in  blue  and  grey, 
the  grey  harmonising  with  that  in  the  walls. 

So  far  we  have  four  colours — the  blue,  the  rose,  the 
grey  of  the  walls  and  the  colour  of  the  furniture — per- 
haps mahogany.  We  may  extend  our  palette  still  fur- 
ther. In  the  sample  given  in  the  chart  of  a  possible 
chair-covering,  tans  and  greens  appear  with  harmony. 
Into  a  room  furnished-much  in  this  general  key  was 
recently  introduced  a  canary  in  a  tan  Chinese  bird-cage 


COLOUR  AND  COLOUR-SCHEMES  223 

with  emerald  green  tassels.  It  proved  an  inspiration 
in  the  direction  of  varied  colouring. 

The  blue  rugs  above  referred  to  should  be  kept 
simple.  The  border  or  design  could  be  of  rose  or  of 
quiet  tan  if  there  is  some  quantity  of  this  elsewhere  in 
the  room.  The  shade  for  the  lamp  or  electric  lights 
had  better  perhaps  be  plain  rose  silk. 

It  is  to  be  noted  that  while  this  colour-scheme  has 
been  assigned  to  a  bedroom  it  is  equally  available  for 
rooms  of  other  character,  and  that  most  of  the  colour- 
schemes  are  interchangeable.  They  have  been  thus  as- 
signed only  to  give  concreteness,  such  examples  being 
much  more  helpful  than  much  loose  generality. 

Sitting-  and  Sewing-room.  It  is  with  such  rooms 
as  these  that  we  may  secure  charming  results  at  little 
expense.  Let  us  take  as  an  example  the  sensible  shades 
of  tan  or  wood-brown,  with  rose  again  dominant  to 
carry  through  the  unity  of  the  apartment.  The  room 
chosen  for  such  a  purpose  should  naturally  have  a  good 
light.  If  it  be  sunny  and  warm  in  tone  choose  the  cooler 
shades :  if  it  has  a  north  light  warmer  ones  should  be 
selected.  The  choice  of  goods  is  wide  and  one  may 
readily  secure  decorative  materials  from  quiet  greyish 
wood-browns  to  rich  and  warm  tans. 

In  the  chart  (Plate  62)  is  exemplified  a  rather 
warm  combination,  but  with  cooler  paper  of  a  linen 
shade.  It  could  run  into  ashes  of  rose,  cream  or  light 
buff,  if  not  too  strong,  and  still  not  essentially  depart 
from  the  general  key  of  wall  surface  we  are  employing 
throughout,  because  it  will  look  cooler  in  combination 
with  the  colouring  of  the  other  surfaces  in  the  room 
than  it  really  is. 

The  assortment  of  inexpensive  rugs  at  our  com- 
mand is  perhaps  greater  in  tans  and  browns  than  in 
other  colours,  so  that  we  may  easily  make  a  choice. 


224  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

Good  general  tones  for  a  bordered  rug  are  given  in  the 
chart,  but  it  would  be  well  to  have  some  small  pattern 
in  the  central  portion,  because  every  thread  dropped  in 
sewing  snows  upon  a  solid  colour.  Any  pleasing  and 
harmonious  design  may  be  chosen,  but  it  should  be 
quiet  if  one  follows  the  writers'  suggestion  that  here 
if  anywhere  is  the  place  to  use  cretonnes.  Two  samples 
are  given  in  the  chart,  one  a  little  brighter  and  cooler 
than  the  other.  There  are  many  others  as  good  as 
either,  and  they  run  all  the  way  from  75  cents  to  $4  a 
yard,  or  more.  Neither  of  those  shown  is  expensive. 

Dining-room.  A  dining-room  should  always  be 
most  attractive,  and  we  have  reserved  for  it  one  of  the 
most  charming  of  colour-schemes — pinkish  rose  and 
silver  grey.  As  it  is  not  possible  to  give  additional 
charts,  this  is  omitted,  as  the  general  plan  has  been  so 
fully  dealt  with  that  a  few  observations  will  be  all  that 
are  necessary.  As  usual  the  quantity  of  the  neutral 
shade  should  be  larger  than  of  the  dominant,  pink-rose. 
The  rug  had  better  therefore  be  of  grey,  though  it  may 
contain  rose  or  have  a  rose  border.  If  the  sideboard  is 
of  the  Sheraton  type  with  brass  rail  for  a  curtain  this 
latter  may  be  of  one  of  the  beautiful  pink-rose  and 
silver-grey  stripes,  in  which  the  satin  of  the  grey  lights 
up  with  a  silvery  sheen.  The  screen  before  the  serving 
table  may  be  of  the  same,  as  this  material  possesses 
both  quiet  style  and  elegance.  The  lights  may  be 
shaded  with  rose,  casting  a  warm  glow  over  the  room. 
It  would  be  much  better  with  this  combination  to  have 
the  side-lights  and  candlesticks  of  silver  finish  rather 
than  of  brass. 

While  we  have  taken  rose  as  the  dominant  note 
throughout  there  are  other  shades  of  red  which  might 
be  chosen ;  such  as  Burgundy  or  a  soft  crimson.  These 


COLOUR  AND  COLOUR-SCHEMES  225 

are  darker  and  less  luminous  than  rose  and  would 
require  more  discrimination  to  blend  happily. 

When  we  have  said  that  either  yellow  or  orange 
may  be  used  as  the  dominant  over  blue,  green,  grey,  or 
tan,  and  in  combination  therewith,  we  have  covered  the 
whole  gamut  of  colour,  for  the  shades  of  any  of  these 
may  be  infinitely  varied  provided  that  harmony  is  pre- 
served. If  one  prefers  the  still  more  softened  and 
greyish  tones  to  those  given  they  may  as  readily  be 
used,  but  in  the  proper  proportions  of  the  colours  in 
the  actual  atmosphere  of  a  room  all  of  the  schemes 
will  be  .mellow  and  harmonious. 

Violet  has  not  specifically  been  mentioned,  though 
it  may  well  take  its  place  among  the  blending  of  col- 
ours in  cretonnes,  tapestries,  etc.  In  its  pure  tones  it  is 
a  difficult  colour  to  carry  through  a  series  of  rooms. 
When  used  its  natural  relief  is  gold  or  cream  colour 
or  both.  Grey  mauve  is  a  delicate  and  beautiful  colour 
for  a  boudoir  but  inappropriate  for  more  robust  rooms. 

It  may  here  again  be  said  that  as  the  materials 
used  in  the  colour  charts  and  mentioned  in  this  section 
are  variable  in  many  directions,  the  same  idea  may  be 
carried  out  irrespective  of  the  employment  of  costly 
or  inexpensive  goods.  It  is  naturally  difficult  to  suit 
all  circumstances,  as  one  reader  may  be  able  to  use 
antique  furniture,  rare  fabrics,  Ming  vases  and  costly 
rugs,  and  another,  who  deserves  equal  attention,  may 
be  limited  in  means  but  mightily  interested  in  the  im- 
provement of  his  home. 

Though  such  immense  variety  has  already  been 
provided  for,  this  plan  extends  still  further  in  its  scope. 
One  dominant  may  rule  two  quieter  shades  of  approx- 
imately equal  quantity  as,  for  instance-,  rose  or  yellow 
over  green  and  tan.  Nor  have  we  as  yet  considered 
the  correlative  idea. 

15 


226  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

THE  CORRELATIVE  PLAN 

As  has  been  said,  yellow,  orange  and  red  are  dom- 
inant and  advancing  colours  except  when  attenuated 
fry  the  admixture  of  other  colours  or  of  black  or  white. 
Suppose,  therefore,  we  attenuate  them.  Yellow  and 
orange  when  so  reduced  become  tints  and  tones — 
creams,  champagnes,  buffs,  tans,  browns  and  olives. 
Attenuated  red,  except  in  the  shades  we  have  men- 
tioned of  rose,  Burgundy  and  mulberry,  are  not  so  use- 
ful in  decoration.  Pink  alone  is  rather  jejune,  though 
in  blending  with  other  colors  it  is  very  happy  and  en- 
livening— a  pink  and  apple-green  sprigged  pattern  on 
a  cream-white  ground  is  a  good  example.  Brickish 
red  has  its  uses,  as  in  floor  tiles  and  fireplaces,  but  is 
vigorous,  owing  to  its  still  retaining  a  great  strength 
of  red.  The  .pinkish  grey  known  as  ashes  of  rose,  is 
of  great  delicacy  and  refinement  and  so  one  would 
hardly  care  to  carry  it  through  more  than  two  rooms, 
unless  in  a  woman's  apartment. 

Let  us  therefore  consider  the  derivations  of  yellow ; 
for  here  we  have  great  scope.  In  these  tones  it  has  lost 
its  dominant  qualities  and  may  so  be  carried  through  a 
series  of  rooms  in  quantity,  to  produce  unity,  other 
colours  being  used  in  various  rooms  as  relief.  This, 
it  will  be  seen,  is  the  correlative  or  reverse  of  the  for- 
mer plan.  In  that  the  dominant  was  carried  through ; 
in  this  the  neutral  will  be. 

In  order  to  illustrate  as  fully  as  possible  within 
limits  we  give  a  colour  chart  embracing  two  rooms 
(Plate  63).  To  begin  with  the  walls — where  we  should 
always  begin — those  in  the  drawing-room  may  be  pa- 
pere.d  in  a  rich  stripe  or  brocade  of  champagne.  Better 
still  would  be  panelling,  enamelled  in  the  same  shade. 

Either  the  beautiful  blue  and  gold  brocade  or  the 
yellow  and  grey  stripe,  or  something  approaching 


COLOUR  AND  COLOUR-SCHEMES  227 

either,  might  be  used  for  the  chair-coverings  in  this 
room,  the  unused  one  being  employed  in  another.  The 
rug  could  be  a  plain  or  small-figured  one  of  the  tone 
shown,  or  of  the  lighter  shades  seen  in  Chinese  rugs. 
It  had  certainly  better  be  plain  or*  plain  with  a  plain 
border  if  used  with  the  delicately  patterned  blue  and 
gold  fabric.  If  a  Chinese  rug  of  unobtrusive  pattern, 
and  with  the  usual  blue  designs,  very  quiet  in  tone, 
could  be  secured  this  might  be  used  with  the  stripe.  If 
the  blue  and  gold  is  employed  a  few  touches  of  rose 
would  be  required  in  small  objects  to  give  warmth  and 
life.  An  entirely  blue  shade  for  the  lamp  should  be 
avoided — it  would  give  too  cold  a  light.  It  should  be 
of  a  deeper  champagne  or  yellow,  either  plain  or  with 
only  a  little  blue.  Any  picture  frames  used  should  be 
of  gold  (dull)  and  lighting  fixtures  of  brass,  also  dull. 
Candlesticks  should  be  of  brass,  not  silver. 

In  carrying  these  modified  yellows  through  a  series 
of  rooms  the  tones  used  may  vary  considerably  where 
the  rooms  do  not  communicate.  Instead  of  champagne 
we  may  go  off  to  creams  and  buffs  and  tans  with  some 
use  in  the  rugs  of  even  browns  or  olives.  Yellow, 
mauve,  and  grey ;  yellow,  blue,  and  grey ;  and  buff,  grey, 
and  rose  are  all  exquisite  combinations.  A  very  happy 
colour-arrangement  recently  seen  was  this:  panelled 
walls  painted  deep  cream,  softly  polished  black  Shera- 
ton furniture,  a  Chinese  rug  of  a  beautiful  grey-blue 
with  design  in  buff  and  rose,  and  draperies  in  striped 
tan  and  grey-blue.  Transitions  should  nowhere  be  sud- 
den and  startling  but  should  be  gradual  and  har- 
monious. And  with  these  many  varying  shades  we  may 
and  should  employ  other  varying  colours  as  relief. 
Nothing  so  gives  an  apartment  a  "  decorated, "  ar- 
ranged, and  artificial  look  as  the  too  great  prominence 
of  a  colour  carried  throughout :  whether  it  be  the  dom- 


228  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

inant  or  the  base  which  is  so  6arried  we  should  simply 
feel  its  presence ;  it  should  not  jump  at  us  at  every  step. 
In  the  colour  charts  it  must  be  remembered  that  it 
is  possible  to  show  only  enough  of  the  wall  material  to 
suffice  for  colour.  In  the  actual  work  there  would  be 
a  far  greater  proportion.  Not  only  must  there  be  large 
surfaces  of  these  more  neutral  shades,  but  also  a  suf- 
ficiency of  plain  or  nearly  plain  more  strongly  coloured 
area  to  balance  the  ornamental  fabrics  used.  In  gen- 
eral, ornament  demands  the  relief  of  plain  surfaces, 
plain  surfaces  demand  the  relief  of  ornament.  The 
writers  especially  wish  to  impress  these  two  points, 
regarding  a  not  too  great  prominence  of  any  one  colour 
and  a  not  overloading  with  ornament ;  as,  if  the  method 
given  were  otherwise  carried  out,  the  intention  would 
be  parodied  and  a  sincere  attempt  at  helpfulness  quite 
destroyed. 

THE  I/ABGER  SCOPE 

A  consideration  of  unity  and  variety  would  not  be 
complete  without  thought  directed  toward  the  decora- 
tion of  larger  premises  than  those  so  far  discussed. 
Their  treatment  is  at  once  easier  and  more  difficult; 
easier  because  the  large  room  gives  more  scope  to  the 
play  of  decorative  facilities ;  more  difficult  only  because 
there  are  more  rooms. 

Their  very  spaciousness,  if  not  cluttered  with  ob- 
jects of  all  descriptions,  has  the  effect  of  minimising 
pattern  and  harmonising  colour.  The  smallness  of  a 
floor  debars  us  from  cutting  it  up  with  design,  lest  it 
look  smaller  than  ever :  and  if  we  did  use  quiet  Oriental 
rugs  we  should  have  to  exercise  our  wits  and  our  ener- 
gies to  find  two  or  three  sufficiently  akin  in  tone  and 
figure.  Upon  a  spacious  floor  we  may,  however,  by  the 
use  of  due  discrimination  distribute  several  pieces  even 
of  differing  characters.  The  few  chairs  which  may  find 
place  in  a  small  room  must  usually,  for  the  avoiding 


COLOUR  AND  COLOUR-SCHEMES  229 

of  distraction,  be  covered  with  the  same  material:  in 
the  large  living-room  we  may  use  one  covering  for  most 
of  the  seating  facilities  and  then  indulge  in  a  burst  of 
varied  colour  with  the  big  easy  upholstered  chairs. 
Chests,  large  cabinets,  consoles  and  large  luxurious 
couches  are  mostly  forbidden  by  smallness  of  space  but 
are  the  very  things  we  need  where  there  is  abundance 
of  room. 

The  opportunities  for  variety  provided  by  the  sys- 
tem here  outlined  are  almost  infinite.  In  a  house  of 
thirty  rooms  half  a  dozen  of  them  might  be  in  one 
general  scheme  and  yet  each  be  individual.  If  in  so 
many  the  combination  of  rose  and  blue  were  used,  for 
example,  the  rooms  themselves  would  be  on  different 
floors  and  for  different  purposes — perhaps  a  drawing- 
room,  nursery,  man's  room  and  boudoir  with  accom- 
panying bedrooms.  The  furniture  and  furnishings  of 
these  various  classes  would  naturally  make  a  decided 
difference  in  the  employment  of  the  colouring  and  give 
very  different  effects.  Then  in  one  room  the  rose  would 
be  used  in  one  place  and  in  another  in  a  different  place ; 
the  shades  may  vary  considerably;  the  additional  col- 
ours used  for  relief  need  not  be  all  alike ;  plain  goods 
would  be  used  in  one  situation  and  blended  or  pat- 
terned in  another  and  the  character  and  designs  of  the 
textiles  would  naturally  not  be  the  same.  In  a  boudoir 
and  adjoining  bedrooms  the  furnishings  of  the  for- 
mer would  be  the  more  luxurious — to  mention  one  par- 
ticular alone  the  curtains  of  the  boudoir  would  be 
silken,  perhaps  with  such  an  applique  as  is  suggested 
in  the  chapter  on  Windows;  those  of  the  bedrooms 
might  appropriately  be  a  beautiful  white  net.  An  indi- 
cation of  the  varying  treatment  of  communicating  bed- 
rooms has  already  been  given.  In  a  man's  room  the 
colouring  might  well  be  deeper  and  more  masculine — 
mulberry  or  Burgundy  and  plum-blue ;  in  a  young  girl's 


230  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

the  lighter  French  flowered  stripes  of  rose  and  blue  on 
cream ;  thus  totally  varying  the  tone  and  character,  yet 
preserving  the  adopted  hues  and  the  unity  thus  gained. 

THE  USE  OF  COLOUR  IN  THE  "  MODERN  »  DECORATION 

The  employment  of  colour  is  probably  the  most 
outstanding  feature  of  this  method  of  decoration,  de- 
scribed in  the  last  chapter  of  Part  I,  and  the  more  ex- 
treme examples  of  its  use  are  apt  to  irritate  persons 
neutral  by  temperament  or  training,  precisely  as  does 
" noise"  in  modern  music.  The  use  of  positive  colour 
in  the  days  of  William  and  Mary  in  England  and  Louis 
Quatorze  in  France  was  as  great  as  it  is  among  the 
modern  men  and  women,  and  yet  it  is  safe  to  believe 
that  interiors  of  those  periods  would  not  affect  the 
quieter-minded  as  do  some  examples  of  modern  work. 
This  is  but  to  say  that  in  these  specially  mentioned 
cases  the  use  of  colour  is  not  happy  and  that  their 
harmonies  ( 1)  need  revision  or  use  in  a  different  man- 
ner. Turquoise  and  blue-green  have  run  a  madden- 
ing course :  one  might  sometimes  think  that  blue-green, 
strong  violet  and  red-orange,  and  green,  golden-yellow 
and  blue-violet  were  the  only  colour  combinations 
known,  were  it  not  for  such  others  as  red-orange  walls 
with  bright  blue  woodwork  and  furniture,  and  a  typi- 
cally German  ugly  green,  red  and  tan  " relieved"  by 
mauve.  The  unentrancing  terra-cotta  also  has  its 
innings.  Now  these  hues  may  be,  or  were,  more  unusual 
than  the  beautiful  rose-reds,  yellow  buffs  and  tans,  grey- 
blues  and  apple-greens — and  the  fact  that  they  were  not 
employed  in  such  quantities  and  prominence  by  the  mas- 
ter colourists  of  the  past  shows  us  there  was  a  reason. 

There  is  also  occasionally  a  tendency  to  use  but 
two  well-harmonising  colours  in  a  room :  such  as  ivory 
and  blue,  grey  and  green,  yellow  and  cream,  yellow  and 


COLOUR  AND  COLOUR-SCHEMES  231 

blue — every  one  of  which  combinations  needs  for  re- 
lief touches  of  rose-red  or  orange. 

Absolute  white  and  black  has  oeen  greatly  em- 
ployed, to  which  there  is  no  objection  except  that  it  is 
much  more  apt  to  stand  apart  from  colour  than  would 
ivory  and  black. 

With  the  object  of  seeing  just  why  these  combina- 
tions have  been  so  greatly  exploited  the  writers  have 
gone  over  a  large  body  of  Peasant  Art,  which,  as  has 
been  said  in  Part  I,  is  one  of  the  inspirations  of  the 
movement.  They  found  red-orange  walls  and  ceilings 
stripped'  Avith  blue-green,  and  the  primitive  yellow 
and  vermilion  red  with  black  and  white,  but  in  the 
overwhelming  majority  of  cases  tones  were  used  and  in 
beautiful  combinations.  Many  of  these  tones  were 
bright  and  cheerful  and  others  quiet.  So  useful  are 
these  combinations  as  suggestions  for  colour-schemes 
that  it  will  be  far  more  valuable  to  mention  some  of 
them  than  to  recite  for  adaptation  what  has  already 
been  done  by  modern  decorators.  The  manner  in  which 
these  schemes  may  actually  be  used  is  indicated  in  the 
section  on  *  *  Unity  and  Variety ' '  just  preceding.  These 
colour-memoranda  are  given  just  as  transcribed, 
mostly  from  costumes  and  textiles,  as  these  notes 
sometimes  show  the  general  proportions  in  which  the 
tones  are  used.  Doubtless  some  of  these  combinations 
have  been  employed  by  modern  decorators. 

Cream  white,  plum  brown,  pale  rose  red,  with 
touches  of  buff  and  pale  blue. 

Cream,  buff  and  indigo,  relieved  with  touches  of 
soft  red. 

Background  of  gun-metal  grey,  design  in  pale  buff 
and  a  tone  of  light  red. 

A  tone  of  cranberry  red,  tone  of  bluish-green,  tone 
of  indigo,  all  relieved  with  pale-buff. 


232  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

Keddish  buff  with  relief  of  maroon,  white  and  dark 
green  (nearly  black). 

Cream  and  strong  orange,  light  indigo  and  black. 

Burgundy  rose,  medium  green,  light  yellow,  black 
and  white. 

A  very  odd  one  was  cream,  light  plum  and  salmon, 
relieved  with  light  yellow  and  black. 

And  a  very  beautiful  one  from  an  Italian  costume, 
cream  white,  Burgundy  rose,  quiet  apple-green  and 
plum,  with  a  spot  of  red  (which  would  better  have 
been  bright  rose)  and  small  touches  of  indigo  and 
bright  orange. 

Tan,  yellow,  dull  blue  and  dull  green. 

Fire-cracker  red,  dark  blue,  green  and  black. 

Regarding  colour  and  colour-combinations,  it 
should  be  remembered  that  even  among  artists  and  ex- 
perts there  is  a  certain  amount  of  divergence  of  view 
as  to  what  is  attractive  and  harmonious,  due  probably 
either  to  the  individual  eye  or  temperament,  and  so  it  is 
unwise  to  indulge  in  too  much  dogmatism  upon  the  sub- 
ject. This  applies  also  to  intensity  of  colour,  strength 
being  a  delight  to  some  and  a  positive  disturbance  to 
others.  As  a  general  rule  it  may,  however,  safely  be 
said  that  the  prismatic  colours  in  their  purity  should 
be  employed  only  in  small  portions,  but  that  tones,  and 
good  strong  tones,  too,  such  as  those  shown  in  the  col- 
our-plates of  this  chapter,  will  blend  well  when  prop- 
erly used  and  in  proper  proportions. 

Colour  in  the  home  is  productive  of  joyousness  and 
cheer,  and  in  its  right  use  is  in  no  way  hostile  to  rest- 
fulness  and  peace. 

Suggestions  for  the  practical  use  of  colour  in  this 
newer  decoration  naturally  appear  in  their  respective 
departments— the  chapters  on  "Walls,  Floors  and 
Textiles. 


CHAPTER  III 

WALLS,  AS  DECORATION  AND  AS 
BACKGROUND 

PANELLING,  WAINSCOTTING.  COMBINATION  WALLS.  MASONRY, 
PLASTER  AND  SPECIAL  FINISHES.  THE  WHITES  AND  TINTS. 
DECORATIVE  WALLS.  PAPERS  AND  THEIR  CHOICE.  PAPER 
PANELS,  FRIEZES,  DADOS  AND  CANOPIES.  CEILINGS.  BOR- 
DERS AND  PICTURE  RAILS.  WOODWORK.  "THE  WHITES " 
FOR  WALL  USE.  THE  "NEWER"  DECORATION. 

THE  treatment  of  walls  is  one  of  the  funda- 
mentals of  decoration ;  and  this  is  evident  when 
we  realise  that  no  furnishing,  however  hand- 
some in  itself,  will  constitute  a  good  interior  unless  the 
walls,  also,  have  been  adequately  studied  and  carried 
out  in  accordance  with  the  principles  of  good  design. 

Walls,  with  their  "trim,"  ceilings,  and  floors  com- 
pose the  shell  of  the  room ;  and  to  these  may  be  added 
the  shades  and  curtains  of  the  windows  and  the  doors 
or  hangings.  So  intimately  are  all  these  connected 
one  with  another  in  any  scheme  of  decoration  that  no 
one  of  them  should  be  proceeded  with  until  all  have 
been  taken  into  account;  nor  should  the  treatment  of 
that  shell  be  decided  upon  without  a  consideration  of 
that  which  is  to  occupy  it — the  furniture,  with  its  cov- 
ering, especially  as  to  colour  and  pattern,  and  the 
various  subsidiary  objects  of  use  and  ornament. 

As  is  indicated  by  the  title  of  this  chapter,  walls 
may  either  be  decorative  or  simple  but  adequate  and 
beautiful  backgrounds.  Extremely  spacious  rooms, 
such  as  ball-rooms  and  the  more  public  rooms  of  pala- 
tial houses  need  a  decorative  treatment  (such  as  the 

233 


234  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

Italian  Eenaissance,  Adam,  Louis  XV  and  Louis  XVI 
styles  afford)  and  less  imposing  premises  are  often 
susceptible  of  a  due  amount  of  decoration  in  the  wall 
surfaces,  which  will  be  shown  as  we  proceed.  The 
drawing-rooms  of  small  houses  and  apartments  may 
frequently  be  given  a  more  ornamental  character  than 
the  private  rooms  without  a  disturbance  of  the  unities, 
and  in  such  properties  the  " Modern"  decoration 
(considered  at  the  end  of  this  chapter)  will  also  be 
found  a  resource  of  value.  On  the  other  hand,  the 
treatment  of  walls  as  backgrounds  is  often  the  best, 
as  it  is  the  most  generally  feasible,  method;  so  that 
both  styles  will  have  equal  attention  here,  the  simply 
painted  or  papered  wall  being  as  carefully  considered 
as  the  most  elaborate. 

A  particularly  careful  consideration  of  Walls  dur- 
ing the  historic  periods  has  been  given  in  Part  I,  and 
the  chapters  on  International-Interperiod  Decoration 
(Part  III)  indicates  those  to  be  used  under  each  of  the 
great  decorative  influences.  The  subject  is  now  ex- 
panded by  the,  taking  up  here  of  the  methods  most  of 
value  to  the  present-day  householder,  including  some 
of  the  less  usual  effects  by  way  of  suggestion  to  those 
who  wish  to  give  individuality  to  their  homes. 

Before  treating  of  the  more  simple  painting  or 
papering  it  will  be  well  to  consider  walls  of  a  con- 
structional nature.  In  the  adoption  of  such  walls  the 
services  of  an  architect  or  decorator  are  required,  but 
it  is  advisable  that  the  reader  should  here  at  least 
consider  their  possibility  and  advantages. 

PANELLED  WALLS 

These  and  their  appropriate  ceilings  are  primarily 
of  Period  character  and  where  a  distinctly  period  style 


PLATE  M 


WALLS,  DECORATION  AND  BACKGROUND    235 

of  decoration  is  desired  a  correct  following  of  that 
style  is  necessary.  Modern  architects  have,  however, 
designed  many  more  non-committal  derivations  and 
these  may  be  employed  where  a  general  method  of  fur- 
nishing is  adopted.  A  charming  British  example  of 
such  panelling  in  a  modern  bedroom  is  illustrated  in 
colour  in  Plate  64.  It  may  be  said  here  that  panelling 
of  even  such  an  elaborate  character  as  that  in  the 
Georgian  dining-room  shown  in  Plate  65  A,  while  dec- 
orative, is  still  of  background  nature,  and  allows,  vith- 
out  confusion,  the  employment  of  pattern  and  colour 
in  the  furnishings,  as  does  all  other  panelling  not  in 
itself  too  ornamental,  colourful  or  of  striking  con- 
trast. In  eighteenth  century  England  and  America 
panelling  was  often  painted  not  only  in  white  but  in 
such  tones  as  cream,  pale  green,  blue  green,  grey  and 
chocolate,  and  frequently  the  carving  was  gilded  or 
parcel  gilt. 

With  panelled  walls  should  be  included  those  with 
painted  inserts  and  others  mentioned  in  the  section  on 
Modern  Decoration  which  follows.  The  very  simple 
method  of  panelling  by  canvas  and  applied  mouldings 
(Plate  65  B)  is  deserving  of  special  attention  be- 
cause of  its  inexpensiveness  and  excellent  effect.  In 
drawing-rooms,  dining-rooms  and  boudoirs  such  fab- 
rics as  damask  and  watered  silk  and  distinguished 
ornamental  Japanese  and  other  papers  may  be  used 
with  fine  effect  as  panel  inserts.  Such  treatments  give 
excellent  scope  to  tasteful  ingenuity — a  plain  or  figured 
gold  Japanese  paper  such  as  comes  in  sheets  would  go 
excellently  well  with  panelling  of  a  deep  cream,  or  a 
silvered  paper  with  grey  or  oyster-white.  Conven- 
tional, or  flower,  or  figure  decorations  may  also  be 
painted  in  panels,  doorheads,  and  the  like. 


236  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

WAINSCOTS 

When,  in  the  eighteenth  century,  wainscotting  grad- 
ually dwindled  to  a  panelled  dado  (and  finally  to 
mere  baseboard  and  cornice)  the  plastered  portion  of 
the  wall  was  either  in  white  or  in  such  tints  as  cream, 
grey,  or  light  green,  or  else  covered  with  fabric,  or 
the  wall-papers  which  by  then  had  come  in  fashion. 
Such  papers  might  either  be  in  monotone  or  poly- 
chrome ;  or,  as  suggested  above,  in  gold  or  silver. 

COMBINATION   WALLS 

Able  architects,  both  here  and  abroad,  in  certain 
instances  use  wood  with  plaster  to  such  an  extent  that 
the  result  may  probably  be  considered  a  combination 
wall.  The  woodwork  consists  of  inglenooks,  built-in 
furniture,  special  features  and  beamed  ceilings,  and 
so  altogether  charming  and  homelike  are  most  of  these 
effects  that  they  are  especially  called  to  the  attention 
of  the  reader.  Two  of  these  are  illustrated  here  (Plate 
66  A  and  B),  and  others  will  be  found  in  Plates  53  and 
78  B.  In  such  cases  the  wall  itself  may  be  in  white,  tint, 
or  in  a  strong  tone,  harmonising  either  by  likeness  or 
contrast  with  the  woodwork  and  the  furnishings. 
Woodwork  will  be  considered  at  the  end  of  this  chapter. 

Other  combination  walls  are  those  of  stone,  brick  or 
tile  with  plaster,  and  each  of  these  may  have  its  use  in 
appropriate  situations. 

STONE,  MASONRY,  PLASTER  AND  SPECIAL  FINISHES 

In  large  houses  of  appropriate  architectural  char- 
acter the  walls  of  halls,  stairways  and  some  of  the  other 
more  public  portions  may  be  of  cut  stone,  as  may  also 
be  specially  designed  studios,  living-rooms,  etc.  (Plate 
67 B).  Palatial  rooms  and  halls  are  also  sometimes 
lined  with  marble,  white,  flecked  or  of  colour.  Some- 


A.  A  NOBLY  PROPORTIONED  DINING  ROOM  PANELLED  IN  GEORGIAN  STYLE 
By  Courtesy  of  Sir  Ernest  Newton,  Architect,  London 


B    WALLS  COVERED  WITH  FILLED  CANVAS,  AND  MOULDING  APPLIED  TO 

FORM  PANELS 

Simple  Panelling  may  be  in  Tint,  Two-tone  or  Strong  Tone.     Present  Instance  is  in  Oyxter 

White  with  Ceiling  of  Plain  Silver  Japanese  Paper  in  Sheets  19  x  47  Inches.     Hangings  Blue 

Own  Home  of  Edmund  B.  Gilchrist,  Architect,  Philadelphia 


WALLS,  DECORATION  AND  BACKGROUND    237 

times  these  and  the  following  but  partially  cover  the 
walls  with  a  high  dado,  the  upper  portion  being 
tinted  (such  as  a  white  marble  with  pale  green-grey 
plaster)  or  decorated.  A  certain  amount  of  roughness 
and  texture  is  allowable  in  stone  walls  of  entirely  in- 
formal nature,  but  to  the  writers  the  cobblestone  wall 
usually  adjacent  to  a  fireplace  is  hideous  even  for  a 
"camp."  It  should  also  be  mentioned  that  plaster 
imitation  of  stonework  is  a  piece  of  architectural  dis- 
honesty and  a  thing  to  be  abhorred. 

Concrete  blocks -with  mortar  afford  such  an  admir- 
able wall  of  less  elaborate  and  expensive  character 
that  an  example  is  illustrated  (Plate  67  A).  No  better 
foil  for  the  fine  Italian  furniture  could  be  imagined, 
and  the  cross-beamed  ceiling  with  rosettes  at  the  cross- 
ings carries  out  an  effect  of  unusual  and  sanely  archi- 
tectural character.  In  such  an  instance  the  poly- 
chrome painting  of  the  rosettes  would  give  additional 
decorative  quality. 

Brick  walls  are  useful  for  solaria  and  other  in- 
formal purposes,  and  in  their  place  a  combination  of 
brick  with  rough-cast  plaster  above  it  would  be  very 
attractive. 

Tile,  when  appropriately  chosen,  is  another  desir- 
able finish,  either  alone  or  with  plaster. 

With  plaster  walls  we  arrive  at  one  of  the  most 
practical  surfaces  at  our  disposal  and  one  susceptible 
of  a  variety  of  treatments.  Sand-finished  plaster, 
either  in  its  natural  tone  or  tinted,  is  most  desirable, 
especially  for  spacious  rooms  such  as  the  dining-room 
illustrated  (Plate  68).  While  on  first  thought  such 
a  wall  might  seem  to  possess  no  great  handsomeness 
it  is  found  to  make  one  of  the  most  admirable  finishes 
as  background  to  richly  carved  furniture  of  noble  pro- 
portions and  hangings  of  tapestry  or  brocade.  Its  use 


238  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

during  the  Eenaissance  period  in  instances  where  the 
walls  were  not  of  decorative  character,  is  a  sufficient 
credential  of  its  merit.  More  smoothly  finished  plas- 
ter was  also  there,  and  may  now,  constantly,  be  em- 
ployed. Such  a  wall  finished  with  a  frieze  in  * '  compo, ' ' 
as  in  the  Adam  room  illustrated  (Plate  69),  likewise 
affords  an  excellent  background  with  sufficient  decora- 
tion above  to  avoid  entire  plainness  of  effect.  The 
treatment  of  plaster  walls  as  an  architectural  and  dec- 
orative feature  was  a  special  metier  with  the  Adam 
Brothers  ("The  Adelphi")  and  anyone  considering 
walls  of  this  character  should  consult  the  recently  pub- 
lished book  on  their  lives  and  work.*  Tinted,  painted 
and  decorated  plaster  may  best  be  treated  in  subse- 
quent sections. 

WHITE  AND  PLAINLY  TINTED  WALLS 

In  an  old  Dutch  Colonial  house,  the  roof  of  which 
descended  to  the  hillside  upon  which  it  was  built,  the 
interior  walls  bore  both  the  tooth  and  tone  of  time.  Its 
purchasers,  with  enlightened  common-sense,  wished  to 
preserve  its  genuine  antiquity  and  yet  secure  fresh- 
ness; they  whitewashed  the  walls  (using  the  Light- 
house Mixturef  which  does  not  rub  off)  and  when  they 
had  hung  simple  white  curtains  and  introduced  their 
fine  old  mahogany  furniture,  the  result  was  all  that 
could  be  desired. 

*For  plaster  and  parge  treatments  the  reader  is  also  referred  to 
Part  I,  Chapter  I. 

t  The  Government  formula  for  this  mixture  is:  Slake  a  half  bushel 
of  lime  with  boiling  water,  cover  during  the  process  to  keep  in  steam. 
Strain  the  liquid  through  a  fine  sieve  or  strainer  and  add  to  it  a  peck  of 
salt,  previously  dissolved  in  warm  water,  three  pounds  of  ground  rice 
boiled  to  a  thin  paste  and  stirred  in  while  hot,  half  a  pound  of  Spanish 
whiting  and  one  pound  of  clear  glue,  previously  dissolved  by  soaking  in 
cold  water,  and  then  hanging  over  a  slow  fire  in  a  small  pot  hung  in  a 
larger  one  filled  with  water.  Add  five  gallons  of  hot  water  to  the  mixture, 
stir  well  and  let  it  stand  a  few  days,  covered  from  dirt.  To  be  applied  hot. 


PLATE  «« 


A.  PLASTER  WALLS  IN  COMBINATION  WITH  EXTENSIVE  WOODWORK 
By  Courtesy  of  Sir  Ernest  Newton,  Architect,  London 


B.  A  COMBINATION  OF  MANY  MATERIALS   IN  A  MODERN    ENGLISH 

DINING  ROOM 

Walls,  Wood,  and  Plaster  Painted  Buff  and  Green;  Base  of  Fireplace,  Stone;  Upper  Facing. 
Brick;  Back,  Blue  Tile;  Hood,  Sconces  and  Centre  Light,  Copper;  Bull's  Eyes  in  Door,  Dark 
Green  Glass;  Rug,  Grey-Green. 

Courtesy  of  Percy  Lancaster,  Architect,  Southport. 


PLATE  67 


-  a 

5  s 

<  £ 


PLATE  68 


SAND-FINISHED  WALLS  FORMING  AN  ADMIRABLE  BACKGROUND  TO 

TAPESTRY  AND  FURNITURE 
By  Courtesy  of  Messrs.  Wilson  Eyre  and  Mcllvaine,  Architects,  Philadelphia 


PLATE  69 


PLASTER   WALLS  WITH   ADAM   MANTEL,   CORNICE, 

CEILING  AND  FURNITURE 

The  Ceiling  of  this  Room  was  Carefully  Copied  from  a  Ceiling  of  One 
of  the  Rooms  of  "Solitude,"  the  Seat  of  the  Honourable  John  Penn, 

in  Philadelphia 
By  Courtesy  of  Messrs.  Mellor  and  Meigs,  Architects.  Philadelphia 


WALLS,  DECORATION  AND  BACKGROUND    239 

Walls  so  done,  or  painted  in  oil  colours,  or  with 
some  of  the  numerous  advertised  preparations,  natur- 
ally possess  much  of  the  same  character  as  those 
treated  in  the  previous  section — there  is  a  simplicity 
and  bigness  about  them  all. 

As  compared  with  papered  walls,  soon  to  be  con- 
sidered, each  has  its  own  advantages.  The  painted 
wall  is  more  sanatory  than  the  papered  wall,  particu- 
larly when  many  layers  of  paper  are  allowed  to  accumu- 
late without  scraping.  With  paint  any  desired  tone 
may  readily  be  mixed,  whereas  the  precise  shade  de- 
sired may  not  always  be  obtained  in  paper.  Paint 
demands  walls  in  perfect  condition  and  properly  pre- 
pared: paper  is  not  so  exigent  and  is  readily  applied. 

That  the  simply  painted  wall  possesses  great  charm 
in  combination  with  appropriate,  well-placed  pictures 
and  attractive  furniture,  is  shown  by  the  man's  living- 
room  illustrated  (Plate  70  A). 

DECOKATIVE  WALLS  AND  THEIR  USES 

This  heading  at  once  brings  us  face  to  face  with 
the  important  query:  Shall  our  walls  be  considered 
and  treated  as  Background  or  as  Decoration?  and, 
after  all,  the  question  should  not  be  difficult  for  each 
of  us  to  decide.  The  masters  of  the  late  Italian  Re- 
naissance (Plate  139)  and  of  some  subsequent  periods, 
revelling  in  ornament  and  colour,  were  quite  competent 
to  endue  all  their  surfaces  and  furnishings — walls,  ceil- 
ings, floors,  hangings  and  furniture — with  these  qual- 
ities— and  yet  secure  harmony  and  repose:  it  is  pos- 
sible for  our  best  architects  and  a  few  decorators 
to-day  to  do  likewise,  but  it  is  hardly  needful  to  men- 
tion that  the  problem  demands  knowledge,  wisdom 
and  taste  of  an  high  order.  Unless,  then,  the  house- 
holder can  avail  himself  of  such  aid  he  had  better 


240  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

deny  himself  an  universal  ornateness.  As  a  general 
principle  ornament  requires  the  relief  of  plain  sur- 
faces; strong  colour  the  relief  of  neutral  tones.  It  is 
evident,  then,  in  our  use  of  ornament  that  we  must 
have  relative  simplicity  and  quietness  somewhere,  and 
it  should  not  be  difficult  for  us  to  decide  where  it 
shall  be. 

It  should  at  once  bo  said  that  spaciousness  is  a  great 
simplifier,  so  that  if  our  rooms  are  large  and  any- 
thing approaching  crowding  is  sedulously  avoided, 
much  more  ornament  and  colour  may  be  employed  than 
in  smaller  and  necessarily  well-filled  apartments. 

If  furniture  is  scant  and  simple,  walls  of  rather 
decorative  character  are  almost  demanded  to  avoid 
bareness  of  effect.  If  furniture,  hangings,  and  the  vari- 
ous other  objects  with  which  we  surround  ourselves 
are  rich  and  ornamental,  the  relief  of  background  is 
the  evident  prescription.  If  walls  are  decorative,  and 
particularly  if  ornamental  ceilings  are  added  thereto, 
the  floor  should  be  restful,  and  the  upholstery  and 
hangings  without  obtrusive  pattern  and  strong  con- 
trasts. Walls  may  be  decorative  and  yet  not  insistent, 
and  these  naturally  allow  a  considerable  degree  of 
these  qualities  of  pattern  and  contrast  elsewhere. 

The  principles  guiding  us  are,  therefore,  plain  and 
we  may  pass  on  to  the  consideration  of  decorative  walls. 

An  illustration  is  given  of  a  fine  living-room  in 
Plate  70  B.  With  the  influence  of  Italy  as  inspiration 
this  handsome  and  altogether  happy  result  was  secured 
in  this  manner: 

The  lofty  walls  were  covered  with  canvas  painted 
a  dull  gold,  and  the  pattern  stencilled  upon  it  in  burnt 
umber,  not  with  hardness  and  regularity  but  with  dif- 
ferent quantities  of  colour,  so  that  in  some  cases  it  is 
quite  transparent.  The  polychrome  frieze  is  painted, 


PLATE  70 


A.  A  SIMPLY  PAINTED  GREY  WALL 
By  Courtesy  of  Abbot  McClure,  Esq. 


B.  WALL  OF  ITALIAN  INSPIRATION  IN  OWN  HOMK 


BOTTOMLEY,  ESQ.,  ARCHITECT,  NEW  YORK 


.LIAM  LAWRENCE 


PLATE  71 


Elsie  de  Wolfe,  Decorator 
COMPOSITE  ROOM,  LANDSCAPE  WALL  DECORATION 
Old  Italian  Architectural  Painting  as  Chimney  Piece  Decoration 
Courtesy  of  "Good  Furniture  Magazine" 


PLATE  72 


PLATE  73 


WALLS,  DECORATION  AND  BACKGROUND    241 

and  in  the  cartouches  are  inserted  a  series  of  reprints 
from  Piranesi. 

As  previously  mentioned,  panelled  walls  may  be 
made  highly  or  quietly  decorative  by  inserts  of  all-over 
painted  decorations,  smaller,  conventional  designs, 
Watteau  or  Oriental  figures,  etc.  Or  the  inserts  may 
be  of  fabrics  or  of  ornamental  papers  (Plate  54).  They 
may  also  be  enriched  with  colour  and  the  mouldings 
gilded.  A  number  of  genuine  Japanese  papers  in  gold, 
silver,  odd  designs  and  colourings  are  imported  by 
the  Japan  Paper  Company  of  New  York  and  Phila- 
delphia. These  are  in  small  sheets  and  are  not  primar- 
ily designed  for  wall  use,  but  those  who  are  willing  to 
go  to  some  trouble  for  the  sake  of  securing  individual 
effects  would  find  some  of  these  things  distinctly  unu- 
sual for  panel  inserts  or  even  for  the  papering  of  an 
entire  room. 

Painted  walls  may  have  panelling  or  a  dado  of  lines 
supplemented  by  other  painted  decorations  such  as 
those  mentioned  in  the  panel  section  above. 

A  favourite  device  of  some  ingenious  modern  British 
architects  is  the  painting  or  stencilling  of  a  conven- 
tionally decorative  frieze  above  woodwork  (Plate 
66  B),  panelling,  or  with  an  otherwise  plain  wall,  above 
a  strong  rail  set  two  or  three  feet  below  the  ceiling. 
Sometimes  such  a  frieze  is  in  modelled  "compo"  with 
or  without  colour.  We  recall  one  example  of  conven- 
tional trees  and  figures  in  this  medium,  and  another  in 
which,  the  rest  of  the  wall  being  plain,  there  were 
strongly  modelled  heraldic  designs  above  the  fireplace. 

Bands  of  conventional  decoration  may  be  used 
around  a  plain  centre  or  run  only  perpendicularly  down 
the  sides  of  such  a  centre. 

A  very  interesting  treatment,  in  the  "newer  decor- 
ation," with  strong  colour,  of  wall  in  connexion  with 
16 


242  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

a  piano,  by  Mr.  Aschermann,  is  illustrated  in  the  last 
section  of  this  chapter  and  a  full  description  of  the 
colour-scheme  given  beneath.  (Plate  77  A.) 

Walls  may  be  entirely  covered  by  rich  fabrics  or 
strongly  ornamental  papers  or  decorated  leather. 

The  degree  of  ornament  or  colour  in  walls  consis- 
tent with  a  considerable  amount  of  decoration  in  other 
surfaces  and  objects  should  be  carefully  weighed  in 
each  instance  or  confusion  will  result.  As  an  instance, 
it  may  be  said  that  an  ivory-white  panelling  with  a 
damask  insert  of  rose,  old  blue,  light  green  or  old  gold 
would  be  a  perfectly  appropriate  background  for  a 
drawing-room  furnished  with  Sheraton  painted  satin- 
wood  or  painted  Louis  Seize  furniture  upholstered  in 
the  same  colouring  as  the  panel  insert. 

PAPERED    WALLS 

In  general,  walls  in  the  whites,  neutrals,  and  soft, 
light  shades  of  colour  will  be  found  the  most  practical. 
The  reasons  have  before  been  given  but  may  be  re- 
peated here : 

1.  Through  them  we  are  able  to  key  together  all 
the  various  rooms  in  a  dwelling  or  an  apartment  with- 
out that  house  or  apartment  becoming  noticeably  of 
strong  yellow,  or  blue,  pink  or  green. 

2.  They  allow  the  employment  in  such  rooms  of  a 
greater  variety  of  colour. 

3.  They  are  reposeful  and  possess  wholesomeness 
and  cheer. 

It  should  be  noted,  however,  that  the  general  ad- 
vocacy of  a  good  thing  by  no  means  presupposes  its 
universal  use.  A  truly  catholic  taste  is  as  acutely  con^ 
scious  of  the  desirability  of  other  things  in  their  proper 
circumstances.  In  very  light  houses  or  in  apartments 
situated  on  upper  floors  where  the  light  pours  in  in 


WALLS,  DECORATION  AND  BACKGROUND    243 

undiluted  glare,  and  where  heavy  curtains  may  not  be 
desired,  somewhat  darker  colours  for  walls  are  appro- 
priate. They  will  give  rest  and  richness.  Even  here, 
however,  a  middle  tone  of  the  chosen  colour  will  be 
found  sufficient,  and  usually  it  had  better  be  of  rather 
neutral  shade.  For  more  positive  treatments  the  sec- 
tion on  the  Newer  Decoration  should  be  consulted. 

Perhaps  no  other  one  thing  has  given  such  scope 
to  the  fiendish  ingenuity  of  man  as  the  designing  of 
paper  for  the  wall.  The  usual  shop  is  a  museum  of 
horrors  where  out  of  a  hundred  patterns  ninety  are  to 
be  shunned.  Yet  even  here  one  may  find  good  and 
simple  things,  and  the  best  shops  and  decorating  estab- 
lishments have  papers  of  great  beauty. 

In  viewing  any  possible  selection  four  questions 
should  mentally  be  asked. 

I.  Is  it  beautiful  in  itself? 

II.  Will  it  lie  back  on  the  wall? 

III.  Is  it  in  accordance  with  the  purposes  of  the 
room? 

IV.  Will  it  be  harmonious  with  the  room  and  its 
furnishings  in  colour,  pattern  and  scale? 

As  a  practical  aid  in  selection,  suggestions  as  to  the 
best  styles  are  given  in  the  following  paragraphs. 

Stripes:  Stripes  have  always  an  intrinsic  style 
( Plate  72 ).  They  add  somewhat  to  the  apparent  height 
of  the  wall,  which  is  sometimes  an  advantage  where 
the  walls  are  low.  With  lofty  walls  they  may  be  used 
if  treated  according  to  later  suggestions.  The  narrow 
stripes  of  cream  white  and  grey  are  exceedingly  attrac- 
tive, practical  and  have  a  modest  elegance.  They  may 
advantageously  be  used  for  an  entire  suite  of  rooms 
except  perhaps  the  drawing-room,  where  a  striped 


244  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

paper  generally  agreeing  in  tone,  but  of  still  greater 
elegance,  may  be  substituted. 

There  are  many  other  good  stripes  in  white,  light 
shades  and  in  all  colours  likely  to  be  used,  the  stripes 
being  of  varying  widths.  The  two-surface  stripes  are 
of  simple  but  undoubted  style.  In  these  one  stripe  is 
plain  and  the  next  is  of  satin  finish,  watered,  brocaded 
or  patterned. 

In  addition  to  these  two-surface  papers  there  are 
those  in  two  tones  of  the  same  colour,  and  also  in  two 
tints,  which  also  often  have  varying  surfaces  as  well. 

While  exercising  care  that  the  stripe  selected  should 
not  be  out  of  proportion  to  the  size  of  the  room,  it 
should  be  remembered  that  if  there  is  little  difference 
in  tone  or  surface  between  the  alternate  stripes  wider 
ones  may  be  used  than  where  the  contrast  is  strong. 

Crane  and  Morris  Designs :  The  papers  by  Walter 
Crane,  William  Morris  and  other  designers  are  of 
strongly  decorative  character,  possessing  as  they  do 
both  pattern  and  colour.  Crane's  "Macaw"  design* 
is  perhaps  the  most  beautiful  of  them  all. 

Brocades :  An  all-over  conventional  brocade  in  some 
such  pattern  as  the  damask  wall  illustrated  (Plate 
73  A)  and  in  pale  ashes  of  roses  or  cream  is  very  beau- 
tiful. In  these  papers  brocaded  in  the  surface  the  pat- 
tern only  shows  strongly  on  portions  of  the  wall  where 
the  light  strikes  at  certain  angles,  but  adds  richness  to 
the  remainder.  As  previously  noted  some  papers  are 
both  brocaded  and  striped. 

Diamond  Pattern  Papers :  There  are  papers  in  tan, 
grey,  and  light  colours  in  which  the  lines  run  diag- 
onally, thus  forming  a  diamond  pattern  in  which  there  is 
a  small  figure.  These  are  attractive,  and  being  unob- 

*  See  colour-plate  in  "  Decorative  Textiles,"  by  George  Leland 
Hunter. 


WALLS,  DECORATION  AND  BACKGROUND    245 

trusive,  the  direction  of  the  lines  is  not  objectionable. 
As  a  usual  principle  it  is  not  well  to  use  lines  at  vari- 
ance with  the  perpendiculars  and  horizontals  of  the 
room. 

Solid  Colourings :  "Where  a  solid-colour  wall  is  de- 
sired in  soft  but  definite  tone,  the  pulp  and  felt  papers 
are  available,  but  in  light  shades  they  are  characterless 
and  the  present  writers  advocate  a  plain  painted  wall 
rather  than  these.  The  following  three  are,  however, 
often  better  than  either. 

Stippled  Papers:  These  effects  are  in  imitation  of 
walls  which  are  stippled  with  paint  in  various  tones 
over  a  toned  background  and  most  of  these  are  of  great 
beauty.  As  the  tones  would  not  match  at  the  joints 
this  paper  comes  to  such  great  width  as  fifteen  feet. 
Decorators  frequently  stipple  papers  themselves  with 
a  sponge  and  water  colour,  but  it  would  be  unwise  for 
the  inexperienced  to  undertake  it. 

Surfaced  Effects :  There  are  several  styles  of  papers 
which  may  be  grouped  under  this  heading,  all  of  them 
giving  more  or  less  the  effect  of  solid  colour.  They 
are  very  slightly  varied  in  surface  or  colouring  so  as  to 
relieve  monotony  and  add  richness.  They  have  a  tex- 
ture which  is  hardly  that  of  plaster  or  stone,  but  of 
which  these  are  the  nearest  comparisons,  and  they 
are  all  the  better  for  not  being  a  direct  imitation. 

There  is  also  a  sand-finished  paper  which  gives  ap- 
proximately the  same  effect  as  the  so-finished  plaster. 

Canvas  Papers :  The  Canvas  and  Jasper  papers  are 
good,  although  they  do  not  possess  any  great  distinc- 
tion. There  is,  however,  a  Canvas  paper  which  is  of 
decided  richness.  This  is  of  dull  gold  on  which  the 
canvas  lines  are  imprinted  in  brown,  so  that  the  gen- 
eral effect  is  of  a  golden  tan. 

Gold  and  Silver :  Papers  entirely  covered  with  gold 


246  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

or  silver,  either  plain  or  with  oriental  figuring,  are 
handsome  and  likewise  expensive.  Some  of  these  have 
stamped  raised  patterns  in  different  tones  or  with  sug- 
gestions of  colour. 

Japanese  Grass :  This  is  one  of  our  very  desirable 
assets,  giving  a  rich  but  unobtrusive  surface.  It  may 
be  «found  in  such  tones  as  silver  grey,  warmer  grey, 
gold,  green  and  gold,  and  blue  and  silver.  There  are 
also  good  imitations  of  grass  cloth. 

Two-Toned  Papers :  Available  also  are  many  de- 
signs of  conventional  character  in  two  tones  so  nearly 
alike  as  to  be  unobtrusive.  These  have  the  advantage 
of  richness  often  at  moderate  cost. 

Sprinkled  and  Small  Pattern  Effects  are  simple  and 
attractive.  Snow-flakes,  triangles  or  dots  are  all  pleas- 
ing and  especially  suitable  for  bedrooms. 

Small  Effects :  There  is  a  paper  with  a  tiny  black 
design  at  frequent  regular  intervals  on  a  white  ground, 
and  also  on  a  background  of  Chinese  yellow,  and  per- 
haps other  colours.  Such  a  wall-covering  could  be  used 
in  a  series  of  rooms,  though  it  might  in  time  become 
more  tiresome  than  stripes. 

Medallions:  These  papers  are  a  mistake — if  one 
were  ill  he  would  lie  and  count  the  medallions  till  moved 
to  despair.  There  was  an  instance  where  an  occupant, 
though  in  perfect  health,  discarded  a  very  beautiful 
medallion  paper  costing  ninety  cents  per  roll  and  sub- 
stituted an  eleven-cent  small-specked  paper  to  im- 
mense advantage. 

Period  Papers :  Wall-papers  are  furnished  by  man- 
ufacturers for  certain  period  rooms,  such  as  Adam  and 
Empire,  and  these  may  sometimes  be  appropriately 
used. 

Attention  should  be  called  to  the  reproductions  of 
French  wall-papers  designed  by  David  with  subjects 


PLATE  74 


PLATE  75 


BLACK  GROUND,  FLOWERED,  CRETONNE  PAPER 
Pictures  have  no  Place  on  such  a  Wall 


WALLS,  DECORATION  AND  BACKGROUND  247 

drawn  from  classic  history  and  mythology.  The  fig- 
ures are  large  and  the  subjects  are  in  sequence  and  in- 
tended to  be  used  as  panels. 

Late  eighteenth  century  Architectural  (Plate  74) 
and  Landscape  Papers  have  been  reproduced  and  are 
excellent  if  the  room  be  furnished  as  were  those  in 
which  these  papers  were  originally  employed — with 
simplicity.  If  they  are  strong  in  effect  the  walls  then 
become  the  decoration  and  other  features  should  be 
subordinated  or  confusion  is  apt  to  ensue. 

Cretonne  Papers :  Another  instance  is  the  cretonne 
effect  of  which  an  illustration  is  given  in  Plate  75.  In 
this  case,  with  black  ground  and  conventional  flowers  in 
varied  colours  and  with  bird's-eye  maple  furniture  in 
simple  lines,  the  result  is  good,  except  for  the  pictures 
erroneously  hung  upon  such  a  wall. 

Foliage  Effects:  Foliage  papers  in  pale  tones 
(Plate  73  B)  are  less  obtrusive  than  the  landscape  ef- 
fects, but  judgment  must  here  also  be  employed. 

Flowered  Papers:  Small  all-over  flowered  or  leaf 
designs  in  greys,  creams  or  pale  tones  of  colour  are 
often  charming  for  bedrooms  or  above  a  dado  in  the 
whites  or  appropriate  tints. 

The  bower  of  naturalistic  red  roses  and  the  gar- 
den of  blooms  may  be  relegated  to  the  use  of  those  who 
have  yet  to  learn  of  what  household  decoration 
consists. 

PANELS,  FRIEZES,  DADOS  AND  CANOPIES 

These  have  all  had  their  special  vogue  and,  as  is 
always  the  case  with  " crazes,"  have  afterwards  been 
discredited— and  probably  will  again  be  revived  with 
equal  fervour.  Each  has  its  own  uses  and  may  at  any 
time  be  employed.  Present  readers  would  probably 


248.  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

properly  prefer  to  use  them  when  not  rendered  unde- 
sirable by  too  frequent  occurrence. 

Panelled  Papers :  When  well  done  paper  panelling 
is  attractive,  especially  for  drawing-rooms  and  boud- 
oirs. It  should  always  be  of  simple  architectural  char- 
acter, with  straight  lines  marking  the  divisions  rather 
than  flowered  or  other  edging. 

Friezes:  These  are  usually  of  too  heavy  and  ob- 
trusive design,  thus  overweighing  the  upper  wall. 
Their  use  is  not  recommended :  however,  where  it  may 
be  expedient  two  or  three  bands  of  the  same  or  differ- 
ing colours  painted  around  the  wall  below  the  ceiling 
give  a  more  individual  effect.  A  wide  painted  band 
down  to  the  picture  rail  is  also  good.  Fabrics  with  a 
moulding  below  are  often  applied  to  form  friezes,  but 
the  writers  advise  caution  in  seeing  that  the  texture 
does  not  conflict  with  that  of  the  wall  beneath. 

Dados :  These  may  be  employed  especially  for  halls, 
dining-rooms,  drawing-rooms,  living-rooms,  and  li- 
braries if  desired.  The  lower  paper  should,  of  course, 
be  the  darker,  and  if  one  is  ornamental  the  other 
should  be  plain.  The  huge  flowered  effects  at  one  time 
in  vogue  would  disturb  the  poise  of  any  room.  On  the 
other  hand  the  writer  once  occupied  as  a  bedroom  the 
room  formerly  used  in  an  apartment  as  a  dining-room ; 
the  lower  wall  of  a  soft  medium  green  in  plain  felt,  the 
upper  wall  being  of  a  cream  shade  with  a  stripe  com- 
posed of  a  rose  stem  and  conventional  leaves  in  the 
same  green  as  the  base.  "With  a  four-post  bed  and 
other  dignified  mahogany  furniture  it  made  one  of  the 
prettiest  rooms  imaginable. 

Canopies :  Canopies  may  be  of  decided  use  in  lofty 
rooms,  as  they  lower  the  apparent  height.  The  ceiling 
paper  is  carried  down  over  the  side  wall,  without  bor- 
der, to  a  picture-rail.  This  arrangement  often  allows 


WALLS,  DECORATION  AND  BACKGROUND    249 

the  use  of  striped  papers  where  otherwise  they  would 
be  inappropriate.  There  are  instances  in  which  the 
division  between  wall  and  canopy  was  a  strip  of  flat 
moulding  perhaps  four  or  five  inches  wide  and  of  dark 
colour,  matching  the  "trim"  of  the  room.  This  mould- 
ing is  set  even  with  the  top  of  the  door  trim,  so  becom- 
ing an  extension  running  around  the  room. 

CEILINGS 

As  the  walls  should  be  lighter  than  the  floors,  the 
ceilings  should  be  lighter  than  the  walls,  but  of  the 
same  colour,  they  being  properly  an  extension  of  them. 
If  the  walls  are  of  two  tones,  such  as  a  cream  and  grey 
stripe,  the  ceiling  should  be  keyed  to  the  lighter  tone- 
in  this  instance  fortunately  also  the  warmer,  the  cream. 

In  most  cases  there  is  nothing  more  simply  elegant 
than  a  perfectly  plain  ceiling  paper,  but  if  the  ceiling 
is  in  poor  condition  a  dotted  or  small  figured  surface 
is  preferable.  Silver  paper  may  sometimes  be  used  to 
advantage  for  the  ceiling  surmounting  a  painted  pan- 
elled wall.  Although  somewhat  darker  than  a  white 
wall  the  reflections  and  high  lights  of  the  metal  surface 
remove  any  oppressive  sense  of  weight.  Wall-paper 
manufacturers  have  exercised  their  ingenuity  in  de- 
signing side  papers,  elaborate  borders  and  decorated 
ceilings,  "to  match,"  but  these  things  are  usually  to 
be  avoided  by  the  tasteful  decorator. 

The  beamed  ceiling  is  appropriate  to  certain  archi- 
tectural styles  and  if  paper  is  used  in  such  cases  it 
should  be  only  in  the  spaces  between  the  beams.  In  the 
large  living-room  of  a  certain  handsome  country  house 
the  beams  also  were  papered  over —  an  indefensible 
practice  subservient  of  all  character. 

Ceilings  of  plaster  work,  parge  or  "compo"  are 
attractive  when  well  designed,  and  good  patterns  may 


250  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

be  secured  "in  stock."  They  should  follow  the  period 
styles  in  which  they  were  used  or  at  least  be  based 
thereon,  and  great  care  should  of  course  be  exercised 
to  have  them  agree  in  style  with  the  architecture  and 
furnishings  and  to  have  them  in  proper  scale  with  the 
room. 

Where  the  walls  are  white  or  nearly  so  such  a  ceil- 
ing may  be  left  white,  but  otherwise  it  should  be  tinted 
a  light  shade  of  the  wall  tone. 

BORDERS  AND  PICTURE  RAILS 

It  is  accepted  without  question  by  many  persons 
that  borders  are  a  decorative  necessity.  So  far  is  this 
from  being  the  case  that  one  should  carefully  consider 
whether  they  are  needed  before  using  them  at  all.  If 
employed  they  should  be  good  in  design,  not  more  than 
four  inches  wide  for  the  ordinary  room,  and  with 
straight  edge.  Cut-out  borders  destroy  architectural 
lines  to  no  purpose.  Occasionally  borders  are  of  value 
in  the  less  formal  rooms  for  the  carrying  up  of  the 
dominant  colour  upon  the  wall  (Plate  76),  but  usually 
there  is  no  particular  reason  for  the  strong  marking  of 
the  dividing  line  between  walls  and  ceiling.  If  it  is 
felt  that  a  greater  finish  be  required,  a  simple  cornice- 
moulding  is  the  better  device.  This  is  quite  commonly 
simply  a  picture  rail  set  just  below  the  edge  of  the  ceil- 
ing, leaving  sufficient  space  for  the  picture  hook  to  go 
over  the  rail.  If  the  woodwork  is  dark  the  rail  may 
also  be  stained  dark  and  this  gives  a  "  snappy"  appear- 
ance, which  is  sometimes  desirable  if  there  is  little 
interest  in  th'e  remainder  of  the  wall. 

This  placing  of  the  rail  is  a  thoroughly  good  one 
when  the  ceiling  is  low,  but  otherwise  the  necessarily 
long  picture-wires  are  apt  to  give  a  "stringy"  ap- 
pearance, and  if  this  is  the  case  it  is  better  practice  to 


PLATE  78 


WALLS,  DECORATION  AND  BACKGROUND    251 

set  down  the  picture  rail  fourteen  to  eighteen  inches 
from  the  ceiling  (Plate  76).  The  finish  thus  given  is 
sufficient  and  no  other  is  really  necessary. 

WOODWORK  OR  "TRIM" 

The  trim  of  windows  and  doors  (and  the  doors 
themselves)  with  which  most  of  us  have  to  do  are  of 
wood,  or  in  strictly  fireproof  buildings  of  metal.  Stone 
or  brick  are,  of  course,  also  frequently  used  for  trim, 
and  we  occasionally  see  tile  or  mosaic,  but  these  last 
are  such  definitely  architectural  features  that  they 
should  not  be  undertaken  except  under  professional 
advice.  (Plate  144.) 

Varnished  golden  oak  is  the  bete  noire  of  the  deco- 
rator, professional  or  domestic,  and  toffy-coloured 
pine  is  worse.  If  at  all  possible  either  should  be  got 
rid  of  by  painting  or  staining,  and  this  should  be  before 
moving  into  the  premises,  where  one  can.  If  one  is 
already  an  occupant  the  change  involves  disturbance 
and  dirt,  but  the  result  will  be  found  worth  while. 
Owners  and  builders  should  be  made  effectively  to 
realise  the  objectionableness  of  this  "tobacco  juice'* 
colour  of  woodwork  so  that  it  may  quickly  become  a 
barbarity  of  the  past. 

In  order  to  get  rid  of  the  "goldenness'  '-—heaven 
save  the  mark ! — the  hard  finish  must  be  taken  off  with 
varnish  remover  or  else  rubbed  down.  It  may  then  be 
restained  an  unobtrusive  shade  and  oiled,  or  it  may 
be  painted. 

Pleasing  Finishes:  Paint,  enamel,  mahogany  and 
dark  oak,  real  or  stained,  and  many  other  woods  less 
usually  employed,  are  all  good.  The  first  two  may  be 
either  in  white  or  in  tint.  Great  stress  is  laid  by  some 
upon  the  use  of  ivory  or  cream  rather  than  pure  white, 
and  this  is  often  advisable,  but  pure  white  quite  usually 


252  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

becomes  ivory  and  the  deeper  shades  grow  ''more  so." 

Where  walls  are  in  tint  or  in  colour,  whether  painted 
or  papered,  the  painted  trim  may  either  be  of  white  or 
of  the  same  or  a  kindred  colour,  in  the  same  or  not 
greatly  differing  tone.  This  question  will  by-and-by  be 
dealt  with  in  detail. 

If  the  trim  is  not  keyed  to  the  wall  it  may  be 
keyed  to;  the  wood  of  the  furniture.  If  the  furniture 
is  mahogany  the  woodwork  had  better  be  of  mahogany 
tone,  or  in  some  light  tint  or  one  of  the  whites.  Dark 
oak  woodwork  is  naturally  the  best  for  furniture  of 
the  same  tone.  Unlimited  varnish  is  disturbing  upon 
any  wood,  not  less  so  over  that  which  is  dark  than  over 
the  lighter  species. 

Grey-fumed  oak  when  well  done  is  in  itself  not  an 
unpleasing  finish,  but  it  is  not  a  practical  one  except 
where  the  furniture  is  also  grey,  white  enamel  or  har- 
monious in  colour.  The  writers  recently  visited  a  new 
apartment-house  in  which  this  grey  was  the  universal 
finish,  and  thought  with  many  a  head-shake  of  the  de- 
plorable result  when  the  unusual  mahogany  or  oak  fur- 
niture should  be  placed  by  the  tenants. 

As  previously  mentioned,  the  trim  may  be  keyed  to 
the  walls,  or  it  may  be  white,  or  it  may  be  dark.  The 
first  means  harmony,  the  last  contrast.  If  the  walls  be 
of  the  Whites,  white  trim  will  be  harmonious ;  if  they 
be  in  colour  white  will  be  a  contrast.  For  strong  ef- 
fects the  section  on  Modern  Decoration  should  be 
consulted. 

There  is  room  for  a  broad  and  unprejudiced  choice. 
As  Mr.  George  Moore  said  of  literature,  "all  methods 
are  good,"  but  all  methods  are  not  equally  good  in 
every  circumstance.  If  our  furnishings  are  likely  to 
be  so  full  of  life,  colour  and  contrast  that  further  em- 
phasis would  be  disturbing,  by  all  means  let  us  have 


WALLS,  DECORATION  AND  BACKGROUND     253 

harmony.  If  we  feel  that  our  rooms  are  strongly  bal- 
anced in  mass  and  colour,  we  may  well  afford  ourselves 
some  contrast. 

"THE  WHITES"  FOB  WALL  USE 

There  is  a  theory  abroad  that  white  walls  contrast 
too  strongly  with  the  furnishings  of  a  room;  and  ma- 
hogany furniture  used  with  their  extreme  form  of 
white,  calcimine  walls,  has  been  pronounced  "impos- 
sible. ' '  Pure  white  curtains  have  for  the  same  reason 
come  in  for  their  share  of  deprecation.  In  accordance 
with  our  usual  policy  of  first-hand  investigation,  let 
us  consider  this  question,  for  it  has  its  importance  not 
only  in  connexion  with  the  so-called  "Colonial"  inte- 
rior but  in  many  other  cases. 

There  is  first  to  be  noted  that  in  any  but  a  per- 
fectly bare  and  unfurnished  room  there  is  no  such  thing 
as  a  dead  white  wall.  Immediately  the  windows  have 
been  duly  shaded  and  curtained  and  the  furnishings 
placed,  nothing  remains  of  a  true  whiteness  but  the 
highest  lights,  the  shadows  and  half-tones  going  off 
to  grey.  Just  here  it  is  well  to  remember  Whistler's 
amusing  search  for  the  brown  necktie.  When  it  or  its 
substitute  had  been  found  Mr.  Eddy  tells  us : 

"Then  mark  you  the  brown  of  the  tie  was  by  no 
means  reproduced  in  the  portrait,  but  the  brown  as 
modified  by  all  the  browns  and  notes  of  the  entire  cos- 
tume, and  as  still  further  modified  by  all  the  browns 
and  all  the  notes  and  shades  and  lights  of  the  studio." 

The  fact  is  that  in  any  room  in  which  there  is  the 
richness  of  mahogany,  coupled  with  the  hues  of  rugs, 
upholstery  and  hangings,  there  are  refractions  of  col- 
our upon  a  white  wall  modifying  it  to  the  tones  in  the 

*  Recollections  and  Impressions  of  Whistler,  by  Arthur  Jerome  Eddy. 


254  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

room,  refractions  impalpable  perhaps  but  neverthe- 
less there. 

We  may  similarly  say  that  the  moment  that  the 
whitest  of  white  curtains  are  hung  at  the  window  no 
white  remains  of  them  but  the  highest  lights.  We  know 
how  artists  of  the  Genre  school  delight  in  the  painting 
of  white  curtains.  Does  one  suppose  they  would  do  so 
if  the  pigment  pourtraying  them  were  pure  Flake 
White?  The  artist's  pleasure  arises  from  the  exqui- 
site tones  of  yellow,  blue,  pink  and  violet  grey,  of  which 
these  " white"  curtains  consist  as  soon  as  they  drape 
into  folds. 

Nor  can  one  with  an  artist's  eye  speak  of  mahogany 
as  wholly  dark.  There  are  darks  and  decided  ones,  but 
note  also  their  grey  half-tones  and  their  sparkling 
lights,  which  in  their  turn  can  only  be  pourtrayed  in 
pigment  by  white  which  is  almost  pure. 

Let  us  then  by  all  means  keep  to  principles,  but  let 
us  develop  these  from  fact.  In  such  cases,  then,  we 
shall  still  indubitably  find  contrast,  and  strong  con- 
trast, between  white  walls  and  mahogany,  but  contrast 
is  of  the  spice  of  life.  We  shall  thank  the  purists  not 
to  try  to  take  away  our  spice. 

The  simple  truth  is  that  white  is  pure,  wholesome 
in  its  mental  influence  and  noble.  It  is  also  sanatory — 
for  to  remain  white  it  must  be  kept  clean. 

WALL  TREATMENT  IN  THE  "  NEWER  "  DECORATION 

As  has  been  said  in  Part  I,  Chapter  IX,  simplicity 
and  right  organisation  are  prominent  tenets  of  the 
newer  school,  and  it  is  recognised  that  the  correct 
handling  of  backgrounds  is  necessary  to  this  result. 
If  they  are  to  be  prominently  decorative  a  restful  bal- 
ance must  elsewhere  be  secured  and,  as  this  involves 
the  sacrifice  of  many  other  decorative  possibilities,  it 


WALLS,  DECORATION  AND  BACKGROUND    255 

is  frequently  found  more  feasible  that  they  should 
remain  backgrounds  and  allow  the  introduction  of  dec- 
oration in  other  objects.  There  is,  therefore,  with  this 
school  a  recognised  use  of  walls  in  greys,  creams,  buffs 
and  other  tints  and  light  tones.  These  have  now  for 
some  time  past,  however,  been  so  largely  employed  by 
good  decorators  that  it  is  felt  by  the  moderns  that  they 
make  somewhat  for  monotony  and  that  stronger  colour 
may  often  advantageously  be  used.  This  is  but  a  re- 
turn to  the  past,  for  during  the  period  from  Queen 
Anne  to  Adam  walls  both  plain  and  panelled  were  often 
in  virile  tones.  They  were  still  tones,  nevertheless,  and 
bright  blues,  red  orange,  and  the  like,  were  certainly 
not  used. 

If  we  had  but  one  or  two  rooms  to  consider,  quite 
brightly  coloured  walls  might  easily  be  managed,  but 
if  a  certain  degree  of  unity  be  lacking  in  the  background 
it  will  be  difficult  to  supply  it  elsewhere,  and  if  one 
strong  colour  be  adopted  throughout  it  will  become 
exceedingly  tiresome  before  many  months  of  its 
company. 

For  plain-coloured  walls,  whether  quiet  or  in 
brighter  hue,  any  of  the  resources  mentioned  in  the 
previous  section  may  be  drawn  upon.  Painted  and 
sand-finished  walls  are  among  the  very  best  for  this 
method,  but  paper  also  is  frequently  used.  That  with 
some  texture  or  slight  mottling  is  better  than  a  per- 
fectly smooth  surface.  Narrow  vertical  stripes  are 
also  good  and  give  an  approximately  plain  result.  Gold 
and  silver  papers  are  rich  and  handsome  and  grass- 
cloth  papers  are  unexcelled. 

As  a  sense  of  unity  is  all  that  is  required,  there  may 
be  some  considerable  variation  in  colour  or  surface  in 
the  different  rooms.  Tf,  for  example,  a  silver-grey 
grass-cloth  paper  is  the  general  covering  the  employ- 


256 

ment  of  a  grey  blue  of  fairly  strong  shade,  or  of  silver 
paper  in  one  or  two  rooms  would  not  create  undue  dis- 
similarity; nor  would  strong  yellow,  salmon  or  light 
tan  vary  too  greatly  from  a  general  tone  of  cream. 

THE  AVOIDANCE  OF  THE  USUAL 

Many  devices  for  this  purpose  are  used  by  the 
newer  school  of  decoration.  One  of  the  most  prominent 
of  them  is  the  painting  of  the  woodwork  (the  "trim") 
a  different  shade  from  the  walls,  lighter  or  darker,  or 
a  strongly  contrasting  colour.  Another  is  the  lining 
up  of  the  walls  with  a  wainscot  or  a  panel  effect,  or 
with  vertical  lines,  or  with  a  frieze  or  canopy,  or  around 
the  ceiling,  corners  and  doors  (Plate  77  A).  When 
such  contrasts  are  used  by  the  new  movers  as  violet 
woodwork,  or  lines,  with  yellow  walls,  bright  blue  with 
red-orange  walls,  etc.,  one  can  only  ask  what  becomes 
of  restfulness:  when  various  strong  colours  are  used 
in  the  different  rooms  of  the  same  house,  one  may  en- 
quire where  their  theory  of  unity  has  gone :  and  in  both 
cases  we  may  wonder  how  good  a  background  these 
supply  for  our  persons  and  our  costumes,  and  how  good 
they  are  to  live  with?  Of  course,  if  such  decoration  is 
to  be  merely  temporary  and  to  afford  a  passing  diver- 
sion for  variety's  sake,  these  purposes  are  fulfilled. 

Considerable  strong  colour  may,  however,  be  em- 
ployed with  unusual  but  most  satisfactory  results. 
The  office  and  reception  room  by  Mr.  Aschermann 
(Plate  52  A)  is  a  good  example  in  point,  and  a  com- 
bination used  by  Mrs.  Grace  Wood  was  also  charming. 
This  was  a  hall-bedroom  with  walls  of  grey,  panelled 
with  a  broad  band  of  mulberry  and  an  inner  line  of 
pistache  green.  The  furniture  was  in  the  green  with 
mulberry  lines,  and  the  bed-cover  mulberry.  Such 
things  have  a  freshness  and  verve  which  it  would  be 


PLATE  77 


A.  A    "MODERN"   TREATMENT  OF  WALL  AND  PIANO 

Walls,  woodwork,  ceiling,  piano  and  bench  in  intense  canary  yellow;  lines 
on  walls,  blue-green;  flowers  on  walls  and  furniture  painted  intense  red, 
orange,  green,  blue  and  violet;  furniture  covered  with  blue-green  silk 
velvet;  carpet,  plain  red-violet  with  18-inch  block  border  in  black, 
red-violet  and  intense  emerald  green  like  mat  below  bench;  candle- 
sticks painted  red- violet;  green  candles. 

By  Courtesy  of  the  Aschermann  Studio,  New  York 


B.  SCHEME  FOR  A  BILLIARD-ROOM  IN  "MODERN"  STYLE 
All  woodwork,  black;  floor-runner  around  billiard  table,  grey  and  black;  furniture  coverings, 
some  grev  leather,  others  intense  emerald  green  linen  with  black  and  yellow  desigi 
same  green  linen;  ceiling,  gold  with  painted  design  in  black,  emerald  green  and  grey;  fireplace, 
hammered  brass. 

By  Courtesy  of  the  Aschermann  Studio,  New  York 


PLATE  78 


A.  A  REPOSEFUL  HALL  ABUNDANTLY  RELIEVED  BY  THE  DECORATION  OF 
UPPER  WALL-SPACE 


B    MODERN    BRITISH   PLAIN-WALL   COTTAGE    LIVING-ROOM    WITH 
APPROPRIATE  FURNITURE 

Letchworth,  England 
By  Courtesy  of  Messrs.  Barry  Parker  and  Raymond  Unwin,  Architects,  Letchworth 


WALLS,  DECORATION  AND  BACKGROUND    257 

well  to  impart  into  many  dull  and  conventional  homes. 
Fortunately  these  ideas  may  be  carried  out  with  san- 
ity of  effect  and  even  strong  contrast  be  preserved. 
Black  or  indigo  lines  upon  a  Chinese  yellow,  which  are 
often  used,  are  not  at  all  bad  if  not  overdone,  because 
the  contrasting  hue  is  sombre  and  not  brilliant. 

Panelling  is  another  strong  resource  of  this  method 
of  decoration  and  many  effects  may  be  gained  by  its 
use.  Both  the  .small  squared  and  the  larger  panelling 
of  later  times  are  used,  and  either  in  one  or  in  two  col- 
ours, these  being  either  quiet  or  strong.  Applied 
mouldings  (Plate  65  B)  are  excellent  for  this  purpose. 

One  very  tasteful  room  known  by  the  writers  has 
a  white  ceiling  and  canopy  effect  with  walls  of  peacock- 
blue  burlap  with  cornice,  background  and  vertical  strip 
panelling  in  white  enamel.  This,  however,  is  a  single 
room.  In  a  suite  the  panels'  of  one  or  two  important 
rooms  may  be  filled  with  a  painted  decoration  for 
greater  ornament  or  with  such  a  beautiful  polychrome 
heavy  Japanese  paper  as  shown  in  Plate  54.  Effective 
papers  may  also  be  used  above  a  dado  (Plate  78  A). 

Conventional  decorations  in  colour  are  often  intro- 
duced in  panels,  and  if  well  done  the  effect  is  excellent. 
They  take  the  place  of  pictures,  which  should  not  ap- 
pear upon  such  walls  as  these  strongly  marked  ones 
unless  of  appropriate  decorative  and  colourful 
character. 

As  cottage  art  is  looked  to  for  inspiration  in  one 
phase  of  ''modern"  decoration  an  exceptionally  good 
example  is  given  in  Plate  78  B.  In  this  instance  the 
tones  are  quiet,  but  such  restful  interiors  as  this  and 
those  on  Plate  93  would  sustain  a  great  deal  of  colour 
without  disturbance. 


17 


CHAPTER  IV 

FLOORS  AND  THEIR  COVERINGS 

THE  FOUNDATION.  FLOOR  COVERINGS.  SIMPLE  RUGS.  PAT- 
TERNED RUGS.  THE  " MODERN"  DECORATION.  STRUC- 
TURAL FLOORS.  POLISHES. 

FLOORS  THE  FOUNDATION 

THE  usual  theory  regarding  floors  is  that  they 
are  a  portion  of  the  background  of  the  room, 
the  other  two  portions  being  walls  and  ceiling. 
This  is  quite  true,  but  floors  are  more  than  this— 
they  are  the  Foundation. 

For  this  reason  it  is  evident  that  they  should  be 
darker  than  the  walls,  so  as  to  give  the  effect  of  stabil- 
ity, as  otherwise  we  should  have  the  effect  of  the  floor 
flying  up  into  our  faces.  An  apparent  exception  to  this 
will  be  noted  later  on. 

The  structural  floors  nowadays  commonly  pro- 
vided are  of  hard  wood,  finished  in  a  fairly  light  shade. 
If  it  is  desired  to  refinish  them  in  another  or  darker 
tone  it  is  necessary  to  remove  the  existing  finish,  which 
is  a  rather  " large  order"  and  necessitates  the  absence 
of  furniture  while  the  work  is  under  way.  Further- 
more, many  new  apartment  houses  forbid  in  their  leases 
that  this  be  done. 

In  the  circumstances  under  which  most  of  us  live, 
therefore,  there  can  be  little  variety  from  the  usual 
shade  except  in  houses  built  to  the  occupant's  order. 
When  that  is  the  case  there  are  many  desirable  ma- 
terials and  colourings  at  our  service,  all  of  which,  as 
well  as  the  treatment  of  floors  in  old  houses,  will  be 
taken  up  later  in  this  chapter.  It  is  well  for  the  present 

258 


FLOORS  AND  THEIR  COVERINGS  259 

to  pass  on  to  the  subject  of  floor  coverings,  not  only  be- 
cause the  more  unusual  materials  for  floors  are  not 
available  for  all  readers,  but  for  the  special  reason 
that  the  principles  regarding  floors  are  better  shown  in 
the  discussion  of  their  coverings. 

FLOOR  COVERINGS 

Balance :  Upon  the  floor  being  darker  than  the  walls 
the  whole  balance  of  the  room  depends.  And  by  this 
is  immediately  condemned  the  entire  series  of  light 
cotton  rugs,  which  in  the  joyous  springtime  fill  the 
shop  windows  to  the  beguilement  and  sorrow  of  the 
unwary  householder,  particularly  when  they  are  full 
of  pattern :  for  even  though  they  may  be  slightly  darker 
than  a  particularly  light  wall,  they  are  not  sufficiently 
so  in  effect  to  lie  down  in  their  place. 

One  of  the  advantages  of  light  walls  is  that  the  tone 
of  even  the  usual  structural  floor  will  generally  be 
found  sufficiently  dark  and  quiet  to  balance  those  walls, 
whereas  a  dark  paper  would  immediately  turn  the  room 
upside  down.  We  shall  in  any  event  wish  some  rugs 
for  finish  and  comfort,  and  if  the  floor  itself  is  too  light 
for  balance  and  cannot  be  changed,  no  resource  is  left 
us  but  largely  to  cover  it. 

Colour:  We  shall  soon  see  that  the  truer  point  of 
view,  that  the  floor  is  the  Foundation,  makes  for 
greater  truth  and  beauty  in  decoration,  and  emanci- 
pates us  from  some  hampering  and  unnecessary  re- 
strictions that  are  laid  down  for  our  use  when  floors  are 
regarded  as  backgrounds  only.  From  this  way  of  con- 
sidering them  probably  arises  the  theory  that  in  colour 
floors  must  be  keyed  to  the  walls.  We  should  say  that 
they  may  be,  or  may  not  be — and  often  preferably  not. 
There  is  no  objection  whatever  to  theory  provided  that 
it  be  based  on  all  the  conditions.  The  difficulty  with 


260  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

some  particular  theorists  is  that  although  they  may 
intimate  that  the  house  or  apartment  should  be  an 
entity,  they  do  not  practically  provide  for  it.  In  order 
that  it  be  an  entity  the  thing  in  general  most  needful 
is  that  those  large  surfaces,  the  walls,  should  be  close 
in  their  general  effect  throughout.  If,  then,  the  floors 
are  to  key  with  the  walls  in  colour  this  would  necessi- 
tate a  close  agreement  in  the  colour  of  rugs  over  the 
whole  house.with  a  monotonous  result.  We  may  rightly 
wish  to  use  several  varieties  or  colourings  of  rugs 
in  our  rooms  and  we  have  already  found  in  the  chapter 
on  colour  (section  "Unity  and  Variety")  how  this 
may  be  done  with  perfect  harmony. 

Some  of  our  best  decorators  employ  an  excellent 
method  which  secures  both  unity  and  variety.  The 
floor  is  covered  throughout  with  a  perfectly  plain  rich 
carpet  and  then  upon  this  Oriental  rugs  are  laid  where 
required.  Among  the  best  colours  for  this  carpet  are 
very  deep  rose,  blues,  taupes  and  tans. 

THE  FLOOR  AS  A  BACKGROUND  OR  AS  DECORATION" 

In  the  chapter  on  walls  it  wap  said  that  they  might 
either  be  treated  as  background  or  as  decoration.  The 
same  is  often  true  of  floors  and  with  them  we  are  some- 
times still  more  free  to  choose  which  method  we  shall 
employ.  The  floor  being  darker  than  the  walls,  and 
being  in  appearance  held  down  by  the  furniture  upon 
it,  has  greater  apparent  artistic  stability  than  the 
walls,  and  is  less  sensitive  to  disturbance.  Further- 
more, being  under  our  feet  and  not  opposite  our  eyes, 
a  larger  variety  of  tone  and  contrast  does  not  so  greatly 
obtrude  as  it  would  in  a  higher  position.  We  may, 
therefore,  regard  the  floors  in  either  light,  and  will 
consider  the  respective  advantages  of  each  method. 


PLATE  79 


A.  LARGE    RUG    FORMED    OF    STRIPS    OF    CARPET 
SEWED  TOGETHER 


B.  PLAIN-CEXTRE   RUG  WITH  BORDER  OF  ORIENTAL  CHARACTER 
The  Inter-period  Selection  of  English  Furniture  and  the  Textile    chosen  for  the  Settee 

are  both  good 


PLATE  80 


PLATE  81 


A.  CEMENT  FLOOR  WITH  INSERTED  DESIGN  IN  COLOURED    TILE 
By  Courtesy  of  George  Howe,  Architect 


TILED  FLOOR  AND  BASE  WITH  PLASTER  WALL 

Well-arranged  Chippendale  Furniture  and  Appropriate  Lights 

By  Courtesy  of  William  Chester  Chase,  Architect 


FLOORS  AND  THEIR  COVERINGS  261 

THE  FLOOR  AS  BACKGROUND SIMPLE  COVERINGS 

There  is  much  to  be  said  in  favour  of  comparatively 
plain  floor  coverings.  These,  with  equally  simple  walls, 
at  once  make  sure  of  repose,  even  though  we  relieve 
them  with  strong  colour — in  fact,  if  we  wish  to  use  de- 
cided and  varied  colour  (for  which  there  is  also  much 
to  be  said)  we  should  first  insure  the  plain  surfaces  for 
their  necessary  balance. 

It  is  evident  that  the  simple  rug  or  carpet  presents 
fewer  complications  and  is  easier  to  manage  deco- 
ratively  than  one  of  more  obtrusive  nature.  It  is 
equally  plain  that  no  matter  how  simple  they  may  be, 
a  number  of  small  rugs  upon  a  strongly  contrasting 
floor  is  destructive  of  all  repose,  and  if  these  be  thrown 
down  at  angles  the  result  is  simply  harassing.  If 
simplicity  of  floor  space  is  needed  it  will  therefore  be 
advisable  to  use  but  one  or  two  rugs  largely  covering 
it  where  the  room  is  of  moderate  dimensions.  In  a 
larger  room  the  floor  may  similarly  be  largely  covered ; 
or  it  may  be  left  mostly  bare,  with  but  a  few  small  rugs ; 
or  a  proportionate  number  may  be  employed  if  not  too 
various  in  pattern  or  colour.  If  there  be  an  occasion 
to  lay  rugs  otherwise  than  parallel  to  the  walls  of  the 
room,  we  have  not  discovered  it.  If  a  triangular  china 
closet  occupies  the  corner  of  a  room,  that  practically 
becomes  the  line  of  wall  at  that  particular  point,  and 
a  small  rug  placed  parallel  to  its  front  is  permissible 
provided  other  rugs  are  not  so  close  as  to  present  in- 
terfering lines.  The  same  is  true  of  a  rug  before  a 
fireplace  built  into  the  corner  of  a  room. 

Simple  rugs  may  be  of  solid  colour  with  or  without 
a  border,  or  they  may  be  of  two  tones  of  the  same  col- 
our, or  of  two  or  more  colours,  providing  that  the  pat- 
tern, where  it  exists,  is  not  large  or  too  strongly  con- 
trasting to  be  simple  (Plates  79  and  80  B)  Borders 


262  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

on  rugs  of  solid  colours  may  likewise  be  of  two  tones 
or  colours  if  not  too  prominent.  In  a  painting  by  Os- 
wald Birley  of  an  interior  at  James  Prydes',  the  Lon- 
don artist,  there  is  a  solid  colour  rug  of  rich  rose  with 
a  border  of  soft  green,  and  just  within  its  outline  on 
each  side  a  narrow  band  of  rose.  Such  a  rug  has  con- 
siderable colour  quality  without  being  obtrusive. 
Another  British  rug,  with  a  block  border,  is  shown  in 
Plate  66  B. 

Needless  to  say,  rug  designs  should  always  be  con- 
ventional. We  have  the  metaphor  "Sleeping  upon  a 
bed  of  roses,"  but  no  one  cares  to  walk  upon  roses, 
either  literally  or  naturalistically  displayed  upon  a  car- 
pet :  when  sufficiently  conventionalised  these  and  other 
natural  objects  become  merely  decorative  motifs  based 
upon  nature  and  the  objection  no  longer  holds. 

These  simple  rugs  are  to  be  found  in  both  imported 
and  domestic  goods  and  in  most  of  the  colours  we  may 
desire.  There  are  also  the  hand-woven  rugs  in  both 
wool  and  cotton,  and  some  of  the  makers  will  dye  and 
weave  these  in  any  shade  desired  (Plate  59).  Braided 
rugs,  rag  carpets,  and  rugs  made  therefrom  are  appro- 
priate for  "old-time"  rooms  and  cottage  use. 

Bugs  are  more  convenient  and  sanatory  than  car- 
pets, because  they  may  easily  be  removed ;  and,  as  they 
do  not  need  tacking  down,  the  flooring  is  not  marred. 

A  rather  serious  objection  to  the  perfectly  plain 
rug,  especially  in  first-floor  rooms,  is  its  showing  every 
mark  and  stain.  Where  there  are  children  running  in 
and  out,  each  dusty  little  footprint  is  evident;  and  if 
there  is  sewing  done  every  thread  left  upon  the  floor 
is  visible.  For  rooms  subject  to  constant  use  it  is  bet- 
ter to  choose  rugs  which  have  a  considerable,  though 
not  necessarily  a;  strongly  contrasting,  pattern  (Plate 
92  B).  It  may  be  observed  that  many  patterned  and 


FLOORS  AND  THEIR  COVERINGS  263 

colourful  rugs — even  many  Oriental  ones — may  be 
classed  as  simple  for  purposes  of  present  considera- 
tion ;  the  sole  test  being :  is  it  quiet  enough  not  to  inter- 
fere with  the  other  decorative  materials  we  shall  use  f 

Furnishings  to  accompany  simple  rugs. — As  has 
been  noted  the  use  of  simple  rugs  with  simple  walls 
allows  the  utmost  freedom  in  the  choice  of  fabrics: 
they  may  be  marked  in  both  colour  and  pattern  pro- 
vided that  the  first  is  harmonious  and  the  second 
proper  in  both  scale  and  character.  Colour  and  pat- 
tern, rightly  employed,  are  never  splashy  nor  offensive ; 
on  the  contrary  they  add  to  beauty,  happiness  and  the 
joy  of  living.  The  remark  is  frequently  sounded  in  our 
ears:  "  My  taste  runs  to  plainness!  "  when  a  glance 
at  the  costume  and  surroundings  of  the  speaker  tells 
us  that  it  runs  simply  to  mediocrity.  If  some  of  these 
drab  souls  were  transplanted  to  more  cheerful  sur- 
roundings their  outlook  on  life  might  be  improved. 
Violence  must,  of  course,  be  avoided  and  good  taste 
should  always  obtain. 

If  it  is  insisted  that  plain  solid  colours  be  used  for 
coverings  and  hangings  as  well  as  for  rugs,  at  least  let 
our  upholstery  have  pattern  in  the  weave,  so  as  to  give 
variety  and  avoid  the  bareness  which  would  otherwise 
ensue.  Also  for  variety's  sake,  if  the  fabrics  and  rugs 
are  to  match  as  to  colour  it  is  better  that  they  be  not 
of  the  same  shade  of  that  colour  but  either  lighter  or 
darker,  the  harmony  being  preserved. 

THE  FLOOR  AS  DECORATION HIGHLY  PATTERNED  RUGS 

Oriental  rugs,*  which  first  demand  attention,  have 
been  subjected  to  alternate  laudation  and  detraction: 
let  us  give  them  unprejudiced  consideration. 

There  are  some  bad  and  cheap  modern  Oriental 

*  See  "  The  Practical  Book  of  Oriental  Rugs  "  by  G.  Griffin  Lewis. 


264  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

rugs,  as  we  shall  find  to  be  the  case  with  everything 
else,  and,  as  with  such  other  things,  we  may  dismiss 
them  without  delay.  Bugs  with  zigzag  lines  (they  are 
but  few)  may  go  with  them,  as  they  but  distract.  Those 
with  diagonal  stripes  are  also  difficult  to  manage  suc- 
cessfully. Very  large  and  spreading  patterns  are 
usually  to  be  avoided,  though  it  would  take  all  the 
strength  of  design  and  colour  of  a  Kazak  to  redeem 
from  drabness  the  "  symphony  in  mud  and  mustard  " 
we  have  previously  described.  A  large  pattern  in  a  very 
large  rug  is  naturally  not  so  evident.  They,  therefore, 
have  their  use  in  spacious  offices,  corridors,  halls,  and 
the  like. 

We  may  now  consider  those  rugs  that  are  adaptable 
for  general  household  use,  and  weigh  the  supposed 
demerits  that  have  been  urged  against  them.  The  fore- 
most cause  of  offending  in  the  eye  of  many  is  their 
strength  of  colour,  and  yet  anyone  familiar  with  the 
subject  knows  that  almost  every  rug  imported  into 
America  (and  probably  also  the  western  portion  of 
Europe)  is  " washed"  to  reduce  its  colour.  When  we 
remember  not  only  this  but  the  fact  that  in  our  western 
"civilisation"  a  rug  cannot  lie  upon  the  floor  two  weeks 
without  its  shades  being  subdued  by  the  soil  of  shoe 
leather  and  accumulating  dust — be  we  as  cleanly  house- 
keepers as  we  may — the  question  comes  seriously  to 
the  front  whether  the  rugs  are  at  fault  or  whether  our 
culture  is  not  growing  too  pale,  too  anaemic,  for  whole- 
some and  robust  man-and-womanhood.  We  use  the 
word  "seriously"  in  all  advisability,  for  even  straws 
are  indicators,  and  this  is  a  question  affecting  not 
merely  decoration  but  character. 

In  any  event  sufficiently  quiet  rugs  can  be  found 
among  the  Orientals.  We  all  realise  that  in  good  ex- 
amples the  blending  of  tones  in  the  Oriental  rug  is 

f  ' 


FLOORS  AND  THEIR  COVERINGS  265 

beyond  western  ability,  and  as  there  is  an  infinite  va- 
riety from  which  to  choose,  if  the  rug  is  not  successful 
upon  the  floor  usually  the  fault  is  ours.  If  a  rug  to  be 
purchased  is  for  a  certain  position  it  should  not  be 
purchased  away  from  that  position — in  other  words, 
such  rugs  should  be  sent  on  approval,  seen  in  their 
place,  and  well  considered  before  payment  is  made. 
In  the  chapter  on  Textiles  (section  Hints  on  Purchas- 
ing) this  whole  subject  of  trying  things  "in  loco"  is 
discussed. 

The  second  objection  to  Oriental  rugs  is  pattern, 
and  this  objection  is  at  least  partly  justified.  There 
are  worrying,  "wormy,"  angular  and  badly  propor- 
tioned designs  in  Oriental  rugs  even  when  otherwise  of 
merit,  and  such  rugs  should  be  avoided  for  domestic 
use,  though  they  may  be  valued  by  a  collector.  There 
are  other  patterns  that  are  excellent  for  our  purposes. 
The  Mina  Khani  designs  found  in  Kurdistan  Rugs  are 
admirable,  and  these  rugs  are  among  the  best  for  gen- 
eral household  use.  The  Herati  and  Pear  designs  are 
good  if  we  avoid  those  that  are  too  small  and  monoto- 
nous. When  we  add  that  many  of  Turkish  and  Persian 
designs  are  most  pleasing,  it  will  be  seen  that  we  have 
practically  said  that  there  are  good  styles  in  all  Ori- 
ental Rugs — it  is  our  part  to  avoid  the  bad  ones.  The 
fact  that  by  far  the  larger  number  of  handsome  mod- 
ern interiors  illustrated  in  Part  II  of  this  book  show 
Oriental  and  Chinese  rugs  upon  the  floors  certainly 
has  its  weight. 

The  durability  of  Oriental  Rugs  for  our  Western 
use  has  perhaps  been  exaggerated  and  under  the  con- 
stant wear  of  leather  footgear  they  will  hardly  last  the 
traditional  lifetime.  When,  however,  the  pile  is  of  a 
fair  length,  they  are  among  the  best  floor  coverings 
we  have. 


266  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

Most  Chinese  rugs  are  of  good  pattern  and  colour 
and  there  are  very  good  reproductions  to  be  had  at 
reasonable  prices.  The  Chinese  products  are  of  great 
variety  and  yet,  almost  without  exception,  they  possess 
the  happy  quality  of  harmonising  with  nearly  every 
environment.  A  Chinese  rug,  excellent  in  both  pattern 
and  scale,  will  be  seen  in  Plate  8.  The  Korean  rug 
shown  in  Plate  111  is  decidedly  attractive.  The  colour- 
ing of  this  example  is  whitish-grey,  yellow  and  blue. 

Domestics.  The  East  has  been  the. Inspiration  for 
most  of  the  best  Saxony  and  Wilton  rugs,  but  there  are 
some  good  ones  in  conventional  patterns.  In  the 
cheaper  grades  of  Wiltons  and  Brussels  the  inspira- 
tion, to  use  a  phrase  of  Mr.  Kipling's,  has  "gone  very 
far  wrong,  indeed, ' '  and  nothing  could  be  more  hideous 
than  some  specimens  with  their  raw  greens  and  reds 
interspersed  with  light  cream. 

Occasionally  one  may  come  across  specimens  of  the 
old  cross-stitch  rug.  Some  of  these  are  ugly,  but  others 
are  good  in  design  and  colour,  especially  those  with 
black  ground  and  flowered  design  and  border. 

Certain  period  carpets,  such  as  the  Aubussons  and 
Savonneries,  are  colourful  in  medium  shades  and  are 
appropriate  when  the  room  is  of  the  proper  period. 
Too  large  patterns — some  of  them  are  very  sweeping 
— should  be  avoided  if  the  room  is  small. 

FLOORS  IN  THE  " MODERN*'  DECORATION 

The  tendency  here  is  toward  simplicity  of  design, 
though  violent  or  at  least  strong  colouring  is  used  here 
as  elsewhere.  Block  borders  and  sometimes  block  pat- 
terns are  favourites,  and  unless  these  are  closely  har- 
monised there  is  nothing  more  insistent  (Plate  77  A). 

Oriental  rugs  are  apparently  largely  taboo,  owing 
to  their  pattern,  and  yemChinese  rugs,  in  which  the  de- 


FLOORS  AND  THEIR  COVERINGS  267 

sign  is  simple  but  often  more  aggressive,  are  frequently 
employed. 

The  woodwork  of  the  floors  is  sometimes  painted 
to  accord  with  the  walls,  but  rather  darker  in  shade, 
and  sometimes  stained  or  painted.  Often  black  floors 
are  used  (and  there  is  nothing  better)  (Plate  125)  and 
sometimes  black  rugs  when  relieved  with  plenty  of 
colour  elsewhere  in  the  room. 

STRUCTURAL  FLOORS 

The  regarding  of  the  floor  as  Foundation  will  be 
found  particularly  appropriate  when  we  consider  such 
Structural  Floors  as  light-coloured  tile  (Plate  81  B), 
white  marble,  mosaic  and  cement,  all  of  which  are  de- 
ficient in  depth  of  colour.  Fortunately,  we  not  only 
possess  a  colour-sense  but  also  that  which  appreciates 
weight,  and  in  these  instances  we  so  feel  the  solidity 
of  the  Foundation  that  the  balance  is  supplied  to  the 
weakness  of  "value."  Even  then  if  we  use  floors  so 
light  in  tone  we  shall  usually  need  to  keep  the  walls 
light  and  quiet  in  effect,  though  here  as  elsewhere  the 
old  masters  of  decoration  surmounted  every  obstacle 
and  solved  all  problems  of  balance  (see  Plate  139). 

Red  tiles  make  excellent  flooring  of  good  colour 
value,  but  we  shall  here  need  to  use  caution  as  to  the 
tones  of  reds  we  employ  in  rugs,  draperies,  etc.,  so  as 
to  avoid  conflict. 

Cement  floors  may  be  successfully  executed  by  in- 
corporating borders  of  polychrome  tiles  or  medallion- 
like  inlays  at  certain  intervals.  The  illustration  (Plate 
81  A)  shows  part  of  a  cement  floor  in  an  oval  breakfast 
room  with  tile  border  and  polychrome  tile  medallions 
at  ends  and  sides. 

From  such  examples  as  the  above  we  see  that  we 
may  employ  resources  whch  come  near  to  opposing 


268  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

usual  principles,  provided  that  we  frankly  recognise 
the  difficulty  and  offset  it  by  proper  action  in  other 
directions.  The  wide-boarded  floors  are  so  obviously 
structural  that  they  convey  to  the  eye  a  satisfying 
sense  of  adequate  foundation,  despite  their  colour,  but 
with  very  light-toned  hardwood  floors  of  narrow  boards 
we  do  not  feel  the  helpful  sense  of  weight,  and  if  they 
are  lighter  than  the  walls  and  cannot  be  darkened,  they 
should  be  fairly  well  covered  with  rugs  which  are  some- 
what darker.  But  here  again  we  must  go  with  caution : 
if  we  laid  down  upon  such  a  floor  but  a  few  small  rugs 
as  dark  and  heavy  as  the  Beluchistans,  for  instance,, 
we  should  then  have  such  violent  contrast  that  the  re- 
sult would  probably  be  more  upsetting  than  the  original 
floor.  Rugs,  therefore,  in  such  conditions  should  be  of 
but  medium  strength,  or  else  the  light  flooring  should  be 
almost  covered  with  one  or  two  larger  rugs  or  a 
carpet. 

Finish :  Waxing  is  usually  recommended  as  the  best 
treatment  for  hardwood  floors,  but  their  slipperiness 
is  the  cause  of  painful  and  even  fatal  accidents.  Shel- 
lac is  also  commonly  used. 

In  old  houses  the  flooring  is  often  of  wide  boards 
(a  survival  of  the  Colonial  method)  sometimes  coarse 
and  badly  worn.  If  not  too  hopeless,  staining  and 
shellacking  will  give  good  results ;  if  very  bad  the  cracks 
and  crevices  may  be  filled  with  putty  and  the  floor 
painted  and  varnished.  Sometimes  nothing  remains 
but  to  carpet  them  entirely,  or  to  cover  with  a  " filling" 
or  matting,  in  which  case  rugs  can  be  used  over  this 
preliminary  surface. 


CHAPTER  V 

WINDOWS  AND  THEIR  TREATMENT 

RETAINING  PURPOSE  AND  ENHANCING  DECORATIVE  VALUE. 
LENGTH  AND  ARRANGEMENT  OF  CURTAINS.  VALANCES. 
MATERIALS  AND  EMPLOYMENT.  COLOURED  SASH  CUR- 
TAINS. OVERCURTAINS.  UNHACKNEYED  EFFECTS.  FIX- 
TURES. DOOR-HANGINGS. 

THE  windows  in  many  abodes  suggest  that  the 
householder  has  forgotten  that  their  primary 
purpose  is  the  admission  of  light  and  air.  To 
be  sure  there  are  seasons  when  the  latter  is  needed  but 
sufficiently  for  ventilation,  and  many  times  when  we 
may  have  too  much  sunlight :  it  is  for  the  modification 
of  light  that  window  hangings  have  been  devised.  It 
is  also  but  right  to  remember  that  nothing  gives  so  bare 
and  desolate  an  appearance  to  a  room  as  an  undraped 
window,  and  that  upon  the  quality  and  quantity  of  ad- 
mitted light  much  of  its  charm  depends.  The  two  neces- 
sities of  light  and  ventilation  on  the  one  hand  and 
modification  and  decoration  on  the  other  will  not  be 
found  conflicting  if  we  proceed  with  proper  informa- 
tion and  judgment.  Beginning  with  the  simpler  treat- 
ments we  shall  find  before  we  have  finished  that  many 
things  may  be  done  to  give  special  interest. 

The  most  generally  sensible  treatment  for  the  usual 
double-sash  window  is  that  of  simple  curtains  of  white 
or  ivory  white  on  rings,  suspended  from  a  simple  brass 
rod.  Traverse  rings  and  cord  will  be  found  a  great 
convenience.  When  it  is  desired  that  the  window  be 
entirely  unobstructed  for  light,  for  air,  or  for  cleaning, 
the  curtains  may  be  drawn  fully  back  at  the  sides  and 
secured  by  simple  cords  to  knobs  or  catches. 

269 


270  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

To  the  above  may  be  added,  if  desired,  one-sash  cur- 
tains of  the  same  material  or  of  thin  silk,  suspended 
on  rings  from  a  brass  rod  attached  in  this  case  to  the 
upper  part  of  the  lower  sash.  The  long  side-curtains 
may  then  be  left  undrawn,  and,  if  the  shade  is  pulled 
half  way  down,  the  room  is  in  the  daytime  obscured 
from  outside  view. 

For  the  sake  of  privacy  when  the  lights  are  lighted 
and  also  for  the  tempering  of  glare  by  day  it  is  neces- 
sary that  further  obstruction  be  provided ;  either  in  the 
form  of  blinds  or  shades,  or  heavy  inside  curtains  which 
may  be  drawn  across  the  windows. 

The  good  old  Venetian  blind  is  unsurpassed  and 
adds  to  the  advantage  of  shades  that  of  admitting  more 
air.  It  may  be  painted  any  tint  to  agree  with  its  sur- 
roundings. If  shades  are  used  they  should  be  heavy 
and  opaque.  White  or  light  tints  are  certainly  best 
with  white  curtains.  The  idea  of  the  two-colour  shade 
— white  within  and  dark  outside — is  good  as  the  opac- 
ity is  increased,  but  the  green  outside  usually  seen  does 
not  properly  accompany  exterior  architecture.  Per- 
haps other  shades  and  colours  may  be  secured. 

If  coloured  curtains  are  added  to  the  shade  and 
long  curtains  of  white,  the  one-sash  curtains  had  bet- 
ter be  omitted,  as  the  long  white  curtains  may  then 
continuously  be  drawn  across  the  window.  Decorators 
sometimes  employ  two  or  three  sets  of  sash  curtains 
of  gauze  for  the  tempering  of  light  to  the  exact  tone  they 
desire,  but  one  curtain  of  silk  can  usually  be  secured 
of  a  shade  which  accomplishes  this  result.  A  volumi- 
nous and  "befrazzling"  window  "dressing" — we 
might  then  call  it — is  too  apt  to  remind  one  of  the  maze 
of  lingerie,  silk  and  furbelows  with  which  women  of 
a  former  time  (not  now!)  felt  compelled  to  bedeck 
their  persons.  Nevertheless,  sometimes  a  shimmering 


WINDOWS  AND  THEIR  TREATMENT          271 

effect  is  desirable  and  this  can  be  achieved  by  the  use 
of  double  gauze  curtains  of  different  shades,  such  as 
rose  and  aquamarine,  blue  and  silver-grey,  etc. 

Our  own  feeling  is  that  in  simple  and  small  rooms 
and  especially  in  bedrooms,  the  simplest  arrangement 
is  the  very  best,  while  other  rooms  of  a  more  ornamen- 
tal character  may  well  be  more  elaborately  treated. 

When  shades  or  blinds  are  used  heavy  curtains  are 
no  longer  a  necessity  (the  pulling  down  of  the  shades 
totally  excluding  the  view  from  outside)  so  that  we  are 
free  to  choose  medium  or  light-weight  fabrics,  as,  fre- 
quently, we  may  prefer. 

Sash  curtains,  whether  of  white  goods  or  casement 
cloth  or  silk,  may  be  arranged  in  two  tiers — one  for 
each  sash — so  that  the  upper  set  may  remain  closed  to 
modify  light  and  the  lower  set  be  drawn  back  to  admit 
it  (Plate  82  A). 

THE    LENGTH    AND    ARRANGEMENT    OF    CURTAINS 

The  architecture  of  the  window  naturally  plays  an 
important  part  in  the  determination  of  curtain  treat- 
ment. Where  the  wall  beneath  the  window  is  recessed 
as  well  as  is  the  window  itself,  the  obvious  suggestion 
is  that  the  curtains  should  be  long.  It  is  undeniable 
that  in  handsome  apartments  rich  curtains  sweeping 
over  the  floor  give  an  opulence  of  appearance,  but  for 
reasons  of  cleanliness  it  is  certainly  better  that  they 
should  escape  the  floor  by  an  inch  or  so. 

Where  the  window  only  is  recessed  and  the  cill  has 
a  pronounced  extension,  curtains  of  cill  length  are 
naturally  indicated.  A  slight  cill  extension  is  no  ob- 
stacle to  long  curtains  if  desired,  as  the  curtain  flows 
gracefully  over  it.  Even  if  a  radiator  or  piece  of  furni- 
ture, such  as  a  dressing-table,  occupies  the  central  por- 
tion of  the  window,  long  curtains  may  still  be  used. 


272  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

hanging  straight  at  the  sides  and  not  being  drawn 
(Plate  82  B). 

Thin  curtains  have  usually  been  made  of  cill  length, 
but  if  this  is  done  the  draught  takes  them  out  of  the 
window  immediately  the  sash  is  raised,  and  they  become 
soiled.  Furthermore,  thin  curtains  must  be  carefully 
placed  on  stretchers  when  laundered  or  they  will 
shrink  till  they  no  longer  reach  the  cill.  Another  objec- 
tion is  that  where  there  is  no  furniture  below  the  win- 
dow cill-length  curtains  give  a  "boxed-in"  appearance. 
A  better  plan,  therefore,  is  to  have  these  curtains  ex- 
tend slightly  below  the  woodwork  under  the  window- 
how  much  depends  upon  convenience  and  proportion. 
Where  two  pairs  of  curtains  are  used,  it  is  customary 
to  have  the  thin  pair  short  whether  the  coloured  pair 
be  short  or  long. 

The  most  usual  plan  where  there  are  over-curtains 
and  valance  is  to  have  them  cover  the  window  casings, 
but  unless  these  are  bad  in  style,  condition  or  colour 
there  is  no  reason  why  this  arrangement  should  pre- 
vail, and  there  is  a  valid  objection  to  it  which  seems  to 
have  been  universally  overlooked.  Where  curtains 
cover  the  woodwork  they  naturally  stand  out  somewhat 
further  beyond  it,  so  that  the  general  effect  is  the  pro- 
jection of  the  outline  of  the  window  into  the  room, 
while  the  feeling  should  be  that  a  window  is  recessed. 
If,  therefore,  the  exceptional  circumstances  mentioned 
above  do  not  exist,  it  is  preferable  that  over-curtains 
be  contained  within  the  casing.  The  rod  is  then  run 
across  slightly  back  of  the  fore  edge  of  the  woodwork 
and  the  valance  placed  in  front  of  it  but  still  within 
the  casing  (Plate  85).  When  the  curtains  are  trans- 
lucent or  transparent  there  is  still  greater  reason  for 
this  arrangement,  as  if  they  were  placed  over  the  out- 
side woodwork  this  would  show  through  and  the  re- 
sult would  probably  be  disagreeable. 


PLATE  82 


PLATE  8  a 


PLATE  84 


A.  CURTAINS  OF  STRIPED  SILK 

With  this  effective  material  the  addition  of  a  valance 

would  have  been  a  great  improvement 


B.  CASEMENT  BOW-WINDOW  WITH  VALANCE 

FOLLOWING  THE  WINDOWS 
By  Courtesy  of  Messrs.  Story  A  Triggs,  London 


PLATE  85 


^ 

The  Huge  Lamp  is  Badly  Out  of  Scale.    The  Side  Lights  are  Good 


WINDOWS  AND  THEIR  TREATMENT         273 

Another  advantage  of  the  showing  of  the  wood- 
work where  it  is  good,  is  the  preservation  of  archi- 
tectural lines. 

If,  because  of  ugliness,  it  is  found  better  to  hide  the 
casing,  opaque  curtains  should  be  used.  By  the  same 
means  much  may  be  done  in  remedying  defects  of  size 
or  proportion.  If  the  window  is,  noticeably  small  for 
the  room,  the  setting  out  of  such  curtains  somewhat 
along  the  side  wall  and  the  raising  of  the  top  of  the 
valance  above  the  framework  will  naturally  increase 
its  apparent  size.  If  high  and  narrow,  the  curtains 
may  be  set  out  at  the  sides  and  a  deep  valance  em- 
ployed, (reducing  the  apparent  height),  the  head  of 
the  latter  then  being  set  even  with  the  top  of  the  casing. 
If  a  window  is  low  a  valance  had  better  be  omitted,  or 
confined  to  a  narrow  strip  merely  to  carry  the  colour 
across. 

For  a  deeply  recessed  bow  with  three  or  more  win- 
dows there  are  two  most  attractive  treatments,  both 
of  which  are  illustrated: 

I.  A  valance  run  across  the  front  of  the  alcove,  and 
curtains  to  the  floor  at  each  side,  these  being  of  heavy 
and  rich  material.    Light  silk  or  casement-cloth  short 
curtains  of  a  different  but  harmonising  colour  at  the 
windows  themselves.     (See  Frontispiece.) 

II.  Long1  curtains  at  the  two  sides  of  the  bow,  val- 
ance following  the  tops  of  the  windows  with  short  cur- 
tains (Plate  84  B). 

Ranges  of  casement  windows,  so  frequent  in  Tudor 
houses,  are  treated  in  this  same  manner  without  the 
long  curtains. 

For  double  and  triple  windows  but  slightly  recessed 

with  cill  straight  across,  it  is  best  to  run  a  long  rod 

straight  across  the  front,  from  which  hang  side  and 

dividing  curtains  all  of  the  same  length,  to  the  cill,  be- 

18 


274  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

low  the  woodwork,  or  full  length,  as  will  give  the  best 
appearance  under  the  existing  conditions.  To  these  a 
valance  may  be  added. 

VALANCES 

Valances  are  not  only  a  strong  decorative  asset  but 
often  seem  required  as  a  finish:  it  appears  rather  il- 
logical, for  instance,  that  coloured  draperies  should 
hang  at  the  sides  of  a  window  without  their  being  con- 
nected by  a  similar  drapery  running  across  the  top. 
This  necessity  has  been  felt  by  some  decorators  who, 
in  cases  where  a  valance  is  not  advisable,  have  covered 
a  pole  with  the  material  of  the  curtains.  Such  a  col- 
oured cylinder  is,  however,  inappropriate,  and  the  re- 
sult can  be  much  more  reasonably  attained  by  the  use 
of  a  valance  so  narrow  that  it  is  but  a  band  of  colour, 
giving  the  advisable  connexion  and  finish. 

With  white  curtains  and  white  woodwork  there  is  no 
necessity  for  a  valance,  but  simply  pleated  valances 
may  frequently  be  used  with  attractive  results. 

Valances  naturally  have  a  lowering  effect,  so  that, 
as  previously  said,  in  many  cases  it  will  be  advisable 
either  to  omit  them  or  use  the  narrow  band  described. 
This  lowering  quality,  on  the  other  hand,  makes  them 
extremely  useful  in  too  lofty  rooms. 

Valances  may  be  plain,  shaped  or  pleated,  and  some 
unusual  effects  are  mentioned  in  a  succeeding  section. 

In  period  rooms  cornices  may  sometimes  be  used 
advantageously  and  an  illustration  is  given  of  an  excel- 
lent selection  in  Neo-Classic  style  (Plate  86). 

MATERIALS  AND  THEIB  EMPLOYMENT 

In  the  reaction  from  the  elaborate  and  costly  cre- 
ations of  lace  which  were  the  pride  of  our  mothers,  the 
frequent  present  prescription  of  absolutely  plain  ma- 


WINDOWS  AND  THEIR  TREATMENT         275 

terial  for  thin  curtains  goes,  perhaps,  too  far.  Espe- 
cially is  this  the  case  in  drawing-rooms  facing  upon  the 
street,  for  from  that  point  inner  curtains  are  not  vis- 
ible, and  perfectly  plain  materials  are  not  appropriate 
to  the  front  of  a  handsome  house,  however  well  they 
may  answer  for  simpler  ones.  In  such  instances  it  is 
advisable  to  have  strength  and  simplicity  in  the  design 
chosen  but  to  add  to  these  a  certain  richness.  If  no 
inner  curtains  are  used,  or  if  they  are  of  solid  colour- 
ing, there  is  much  freedom  of  choice,  but  if  inner  cur- 
tains are  patterned  and  varied  in  colouring  a  greater 
severity  in  the  thin  curtains  must  obtain  and  the  two 
must  not  conflict  in  design  or  scale.  Drawing-rooms, 
reception-rooms  and  boudoirs  are  all  "  of  an  elegance, ' ' 
and,  unless  redeemed  by  handsome  inner  curtains,  plain 
thin  materials  leave  something  to  be  desired.  There 
are  many  beautiful  stripes,  figures  and  patterns  in  net 
and  madras  (Plate  83  A). 

Dining-rooms  and  living-rooms  are  sometimes  ele- 
gant and  sometimes  simple,  and  the  curtains  chosen 
should  be  in  accordance. 

For  cottages,  many  apartments  and  simple  bed- 
rooms nothing  is  prettier  than  flounced  muslin  cur- 
tains :  they  have  a  charm  all  their  own  and  are  most 
convenient,  as  they  can  be  purchased  ready  to  put  up. 
Other  execellent  selections  are  plain  materials  with 
insertion  near  the  edge,  or  with  a  wide  hem  and  a  nar- 
row edge  of  Cluny  lace  sewed  on  the  inner  side  and 
foot.  Plain  materials,  from  scrim  to  theatrical-net, 
are  so  numerous  that  it  is  hardly  worth  while  to  at- 
tempt to  record  them;  all  that  is  necessary  being  the 
selection  of  what  is  appropriate  and  pleasing  for  its 
particular  use. 

If  the  woodwork  is  ivory,  cream  or  buff,  it  is  bet- 
ter that  the  curtains  should  be  similar  in  tone,  but  if  it 


276  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

is  pure  white  or  of  another  colour,  pure  white  curtains 
will  be  better:  they  seem  to  retain  their  freshness 
longer  than  the  tones. 

COLOURED  SASH  CURTAINS 

Coloured  curtains  next  the  sash  are  sometimes  ad- 
visable for  adding  richness,  the  modification  of  light, 
or  to  carry  out  a  decorative  effect.  If  the  natural  light 
of  a  room  is  cold  or  dreary,  thin  curtains  in  one  of  the 
shades  of  yellow  will  brighten  it  and  enliven  the  v/hole 
atmosphere  of  the  room.  Rose  will  warm  it  without 
so  greatly  increasing  the  effect  of  light.  If,  on  the 
other  hand,  there  is  too  great  glare,  cool  green,  blue- 
lavender  or  soft  blue  will  modify  it.  In  making  a  choice 
the  colour-scheme  of  the  room  must,  of  course,  be 
considered. 

Among  the  materials,  for  such  purposes  are  thin 
silk,  Japanese  gauze,  Japanese  crepe,  thin  poplin,  sun- 
fast  and  English  casement  cloth. 

OVER-CURTAINS 

The  moment  that  definite  colour,  and  especially  pat- 
terned colour,  is  introduced  in  window  hangings  they 
become  a  vital  part  of  the  decoration  of  the  room  and 
need  special  consideration.  The  windows  are  deco- 
ratively  more  than  a  continuation  of  the  wall  area,  and 
may  therefore  be  given  a  livelier  interest,  but  it  is  sel- 
dom that  they  should  become  the  strongest  colour-note 
in  a  room — that  to  which  the  eye  first  travels.  An  ex- 
ception to  this  rule  is  covered  in  the  following  section. 

If  the  walls  have  been  treated  so  as  to  maintain 
their  place  as  background,  if  there  is  a  sufficient  sense 
of  restful  spaciousness  in  the  room,  and  not  already 
too  much  colour,  then  the  windows  may  be  given  rich- 
ness and  decorative  value  by  the  use  of  over-curtains 


WINDOWS  AND  THEIR  TREATMENT         277 

in  solid  colouring,  plain,  striped  or  patterned,  or  in 
two  colours,  or  varied  colour  if  not  too  insistent  in 
effect.  The  degree  of  prominence  the  windows  will 
stand  is  determined  by  the  room  and  its  furnishings. 
If  the  room  seems  already  small  and  stuffy,  over-cur- 
tains will  increase  both  defects  if  they  be  heavy — usu- 
ally they  had  better  not  be  used  at  all.  It  is  always 
to  be  remembered  that  white  curtains  increase  the 
apparent  size  of  a  room  while  those  of  colour  lessen  it. 

As  has  been  noted,  it  is  not  necessary  that  over- 
curtains  be  heavy  if  shades  or  Venetian  blinds  are 
used:  our  facilities  for  securing  just  what  is  desired 
in  colour  and  effect  are  therefore  much  extended.  In 
many  rooms,  especially  those  which  already  are  suf- 
ficiently dark,  the  translucent  effect  given  by  unlined 
striped  and  plain  silks  (Plate  84  A),  poplin,  printed 
linens  and  cretonnes,  thin  brocades,  etc.,  is  superior 
to  the  lined  and  heavy  velvet,  corduroy,  damask,  bro- 
cade, tapestry,  heavy  silk  and  other  goods  which  are 
appropriate  where  opacity  is  desired. 

A  study  of  the  room  will  indicate  whether  trans- 
lucence  or  opacity  is  best 

EXCEPTIONAL  AND  UNHACKNEYED  EFFECTS 

Sometimes  a  window  is  the  one  distinguished  feat- 
ure in  an  otherwise  difficult  room  and  it  then  seems 
advisable  to  "play  up"  this  interest- in  order  to  redeem 
it  from  the  commonplace.  Close  consideration  should 
be  given  the  materials  used,  their  colour,  pattern  and 
arrangement. 

Coloured  curtains  may  here  be  used  throughout, 
and  two  suggestive  effects  are  mentioned.  Simply  for 
exemplification  we  will  take  rose  as  the  dominant  in 
both,  though  any  other  colouring  may  be  used  accord- 
ing to  the  scheme  of  decoration. 


278  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

I.  Sash  curtains  of  thin  silk  in  stripes  of  rose  and 
champagne  with  a  thin  black  line.    Over-curtains  and 
valances  of  thicker  but  still  translucent  rose  silk  of 
solid  colour.   Edge  these  with  black  and  make  the  loop- 
ing band  of  solid  black,  or  use  black  silk  cord  and  tas- 
sels.   There  would  be  no  objection  to  a  self  figure  or 
stripe  in  the  weave  of  the  over-curtains  and  valance. 

II.  Sash  curtains  of  thin  rose  silk,  or  else  the  shim- 
mering effect  given  by  two  sets  of  gauze — rose  and 
grey-blue,  rose  and  pale  green,  or  rose  and  champagne. 
Translucent  over-curtains  with  valance  in  two  colours 
or  varied  colouring  in  rich  or  in  striking  combinations 
in  which  rose  is  dominant.     Oriental  silks,  brocades, 
striped  silks,  printed  linens  and  cretonnes  are  all  ap- 
propriate— any   material,    in   fact,   which   gives    the 
effect  desired. 

There  are  many  variations  from  the  usual.  Some 
of  these  may  be  mentioned,  and  originality  will  sug- 
gest others. 

Valances  to  solid  colour  curtains  are  commonly 
made  of  the  same  material.  Why  not  use,  instead,  a 
handsome  brocade,  stripe  or  other  goods,  in  varied  col- 
ourings in  which  the  hue  of  the  curtains  is  dominant? 
Such  a  combination  is  shown  in  one  of  the  illustrations 
(Plate  87  A). 

Plain  valances  and  curtains  may  be  banded  with 
broad  bands  in  the  same  way  that  braid  is  applied  to 
a  costume.  The  design  should,  however,  not  be  elab- 
orate or  fussy  but  rather  architectural  in  its  lines. 
This  is  also  illustrated  (Plate  87  B). 

In  Italian  decoration  we  frequently  find  valances 
of  wood,  either  of  plain  surface  or  carved,  painted,  in 
either  case,  with  a  polychrome  design  and  often  gilded. 

Handsomely  stamped  and  ornamented  paper,  duly 
protected  by  shellac,  is  sometimes  used  for  screens,  and 
in  an  instance  known  to  the  writers  this  was  also  em- 


PLATE  86 


CORNICES  IN  THE  NEO-CLASSIC  MODE 
By  Courtesy  of  Newcomb-Macklin  Co.,  Chicago  and  New  York 


PLATE  87 


WINDOWS  AND  THEIR  TREATMENT         279 

ployed  for  valances,  so  as  to  carry  out  the  decorative 
effect.  This  could  be  mounted  upon  either  a  stiff  buck- 
ram or  thin  board. 

Fringes  of  silk  are,  of  course,  appropriate  for  the 
edges  of  valances  if  desired. 

A  heavy  silk  tassel  depending  from  near  each  end 
of  the  valance  and  hanging  over  the  curtain  below, 
often  gives  a  good  effect.  A  drop  ornament  of  unusual 
character  might  be  employed  in  the  same  way. 

The  edging  of  curtains  has  previously  been  sug- 
gested, and  many  excellent  combinations  may  thus  be 
made,  with  thin  sash  curtains  as  well  as  the  heavier 
ones. 

Bands,  wide  or  narrow,  harmonising  or  contrasting, 
may  be  set  on  curtains  back  from  the  edge.  On  solid 
colours  these  may  either  be  plain  or  of  some  beautiful 
design  cut  from  another  fabric.  A  band  of  the  narrow, 
embroidered  Chinese  strips  would  be  admirable.  On 
ornamental  goods  a  band  of  black  or  solid  colour  is 
sometimes  advisable. 

Using  the  same  principles,  a  wide  band,  or  two  or 
three  narrower  ones,  may  be  set  across  the  curtains 
above  their  foot.  The  distance  from  the  bottom  will 
naturally  depend  upon  the  length  and  position  of  the 
curtains.  Bands  of  insertion  may  also  be  used  across 
plain  white  curtains  in  the  same  manner. 

In  the  so-called  ''Modern"  style  of  decoration 
strong  bands  of  black  upon  curtains  of  Chinese  yellow 
or  blue  would  be  most  effective.  So  also  would  be  bands 
of  colour  in  strong  contrast. 

Patterns  cut  from  other  goods  may  be  applique 
upon  solid  colours.  An  example  of  this  would  be  the 
use  of  the  charming  ovals  of  flowers  or  baskets  of 
flowers  found  in  French  goods,  set  upon  grey-blue  cur- 
tains in  a  boudoir. 

All  of  these  devices  give  distinction  if  well  managed. 


280  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

FIXTUBES 

Except  for  use  with  extremely  large  and  weighty 
curtains  the  bulky  wooden  pole — from  which  it  seems 
so  difficult  to  divorce  the  general  public — is  unneces- 
sary and  therefore  objectionable.  Those  interested  in 
art  continually  have  cause  to  exclaim:  "When  will 
people  learn  to  employ  means  proportionate  to  the  ends 
desired!" 

A  simple  brass  rod  (with  the  appropriate  end- 
fixtures)  purchasable  at  any  first-class  hardware-shop 
or  dealer  in  upholsterers'  supplies)  is  sufficiently 
strong  for  almost  all  domestic  uses.  If  such  a  rod  has 
to  extend  over  a  wide  space,  such  as  double  or  triple 
windows  or  a  double  doorway,  a  screw  hook  at  the 
centre  will  support  it  and  prevent  sagging. 

Where  there  is  a  valance  this  naturally  hides  the 
rod  and  rings.  If  there  is  none  a  heading  can  be  ar- 
ranged in  the  case  of  opaque  curtains  and  the  rings 
fastened  on  at  its  lower  edge  at  the  back  so  that  the 
heading  projects  above  the  rod  and  hides  it.  Thin  cur- 
tains are  often  run  on  the  rod  with  a  heading  above 
(Plate  83  A).  But— Why  worry !  The  sight  of  rod  and 
rings  seems  to  disturb  some  writers,  but  things  of  this 
kind  are  precisely  on  a  par  with  the  iron  tie-rods  frankly 
run  across  below  the  arched  ceilings  of  magnificent 
Italian  interiors  (Plate  18).  Our  refinement  may 
sometimes  grow  too  fussy. 

BOOK-HANGINGS 

Circumstances  vary  so  greatly  that  it  is  unwise  to 
give  hard  and  fast  rules,  but  in  general  it  may  be  said 
that  if  over-curtains  are  used  at  windows  it  is  advis- 
able that  at  doorways  (the  corresponding  apertures) 
the  same  colouring  should  be  employed,  or  at  least  that 
the  colouring  of  the  one  should  be  in  relation  to  that 


WINDOWS  AND  THEIR  TREATMENT         281 

of  the  other :  if,  for  instance,  the  window  hangings  are 
to  be  of  blended  tones,  the  portieres  might  be  either  the 
same  or  solid  colour  of  one  of  the  principal  of  those 
tones. 

If  there  are  no  coloured  curtains  at  the  windows 
the  choice  of  materials  for  portieres  is  then  limited 
only  by  general  appropriateness  and  the  necessity  of 
harmony  with  other  decorations. 

The  popular  supposition  that  portieres  must  al- 
ways be  heavy  is,  of  course,  unjustified.  They  should 
often  be  opaque — as  at  bedroom  doors — but  frequently 
light  and  unlined  curtains  give  delightful  effects. 

The  objection  that  door  curtains  are  in  the  way 
seems  also  unfounded  for  they  may  be  pulled  back  to 
either  side  of  the  doorway,  or  to  both  sides  where  they 
are  double,  in  the  case  of  wide  doorways.  Certainly  un- 
curtained doorways,  though  not  nearly  to  so  great  a 
degree  as  uncurtained  windows,  have  a  bare  and  un- 
finished effect.  It  is,  by  the  way,  well  to  leave  most 
doors  on,  as  it  is  rarely  the  case  that  they  are  not  at 
some  time  needed. 

THE  IMPORTANCE  OP   WINDOW  FURNISHINGS 

It  will  have  been  seen  how  many  circumstances 
there  are  to  consider  in  the  apparently  simple  matter 
of  the  furnishing  of  windows.  It  is,  however,  precisely 
this  advance  consideration  that  avoids  costly  mistakes. 
The  harmony  of  our  home  depends  largely  upon  what 
we  do  in  this  direction :  we  may  have  rooms  irritating 
to  the  nerves  through  their  glare,  their  dullness  or 
their  harshness;  or  restful  and  full  of  happy  charm, 
because  of  a  pleasing  and  sufficient  diffusion  of  light, 
rightly  placed  and  harmonious  in  tone. 


CHAPTER  VI 

THE  ARRANGEMENT  AND  BALANCE  OF 
FURNITURE 

BALANCE.  OBJECTS  OF  CENTRAL.  INTEREST.  FIREPLACES. 
DOUBLE  AND  MINOR  CENTRES.  CORNERS.  THE  SETTING 
OP  FURNITURE  OUT  INTO  THE  ROOM.  SCALE  AND  PROPOR- 
TION EXPERIMENTATION. 

THE  arrangement  of  furniture  is  taken  up  be- 
fore the  subject  of  furniture  itself,  because  most 
persons  are  already  possessed  of  at  least  a 
portion  of  what  is  to  be  used.    Furthermore,  the  matter 
of  arrangement  and  balance  is  so  important  that  it 
should  be  mastered  before  new  furniture  is  purchased. 
We  have  already,  then,  in  our  houses   the  construc- 
tional items  of  doors,  windows,  fireplaces  and  panel- 
ling, if  this  be  used.    Frequently,  too,  in  new  houses 
or  apartments,   there   are  such  built-in  features    as 
china-cupboards,  wardrobes  and  bookcases.    All,  there- 
fore, that  usually  confronts  us  is  the  existing  space  into 
which   we   must   pleasantly    arrange    our   household 
effects,  and  possibly  provide  for  others.     Wlien  we 
mobilise  these  effects  they  seem  of  great  variety,  but 
their  uses  are  so  well  defined  that  this  in  itself  often 
aids  their  placing.    In  a  bedroom  of  the  usual  size,  for 
instance,  the  purpose  of  the  room  defines  the  appro- 
priate furniture.    Often,  too,  from  the  construction  of 
the  room,  it  is  at  once  evident  where  the  bedstead 
should  go,  and  there  remain  but  a  few  wall  spaces  into 
which  we  may  fit  a  chest  of  drawers  with  mirror  above, 
or  a  dressing-table,  a  highboy,  wardrobe  or  chiffonier, 
a  small  table  or  two,  chairs,  and  perhaps,  if  the  room 

282 


PLATE  88 


A.  AN  ENGLISH  BEDROOM,  WITH  APPROPRIATE  SEAT  AT  FOOT  OF  BED 

Balance  Sustained  by  Curtained  Alcove  and  Double-chest  of  Drawers 

By  Courtesy  of  Messrs.  Story  and  Triggs,  London 


B.  AX  ENGLISH  BEDROOM 
The  Light  Naturally  Determines  the  Place  for  the  Dressing-table,  while  the  Wardrobe  and 

Highboy  go  into  Darker  Spaces 
By  Courtesy  of  Messrs,  Bartholomew  and  Fletcher,  London 


A.     AN  EXCELLENT  ARRANGEMENT  IN 
THE  CORNER  OF  A  MAN'S  LIVING-ROOM 


B.  ITALIAN    RENAISSANCE    FURNITURE    IN    FORMAL    BALANCE 
By  Courtesy  of  Mr.  Alfred  Villoresi,  New  York 


PLATE  90 


A.  FAULTY  BALANCE  BETWEEN  THE  TWO  SIDES  OF  AN  OTHERWISE 
ATTRACTIVE  ROOM 


B.  BALANCE  ACCOMPLISHED  BY  THE  USE  OF  ONE  LARGE  PICTURE 
IN  PLACE  OF  THE  TWO  SMALL  ONES,  ABOVE 


PLATE  91 


ARRANGEMENT  OF  FURNITURE  283 

be  sufficiently  large,  a  couch,  and  the  like.  The  fact 
that  we  should  have  a  good  light  by  which  to  dress,  will 
probably  determine  the  place  of  the  dressing-table, 
while  a  wardrobe  or  highboy  may  go  into  a  darker 
space,  so  that  by  natural  circumstances  our  progress 
has  greatly  been  aided  (Plate  88  A  and  B).  In  any 
event,  we  have  arrived  at  the  precept  that  it  is  well 
to  begin  with  the  principal  pieces  of  furniture,  after- 
wards disposing  of  the  others. 

BALANCE 

In  order,  however,  that  the  final  result  should  show7 
a  correct  balance  of  arrangement,  we  shall  need  to  use 
other  principles.  Some  of  them  are  at  once  evident,  as, 
if  we  were  to  load  a  boat,  we  should  not  naturally  place 
all  the  bulky  freight  on  one  side  and  the  light  on  the 
other,  so  we  shall  not  arrange  all  the  tall  pieces  of  fur- 
niture on  one  side  of  a  room  and  place  the  low  pieces 
on  the  opposite  side.  By  so  doing  we  should  not  actu- 
ally tip  the  room  as  we  should  the  boat,  but  we  should 
tip  its  appearance.  Furthermore,  even  if  we  disre- 
garded for  the  moment  the  looks  of  the  whole  room  and 
considered  either  side  alone,  we  should  see  how  monto- 
nous  is  a  series  of  pieces  of  more  or  less  uniform  height. 
We  must,  therefore,  intersperse  high  and  low  to  secure 
a  proper  balance. 

Balance,  in  its  simplest  form,  is  that  in  which  the 
objects  on  each  side  of  a  larger  central  feature  are  the 
same  in  character  and  arranged  in  the  same  manner. 
This  is  illustrated  in  the  beautiful  group  of  Italian 
Renaissance  furniture  in  which  the  chairs  and  tor- 
cheres are  alike  on  both  sides  of  the  handsome  credenza 
(Plate  89  B).  This  arrangement,  being  formal  in  its 
character,  is  particularly  in  place  for  stately  rooms, 
but  is  equally  appropriate  in  such  humbler  surround- 


284  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

ings  as  a  quiet  eighteenth  century  room  where  two 
chairs  flank  a  Queen  Anne  sofa  with  an  old  portrait 
above.  The  formality  here  is  combined  with  quaint- 
ness,  both  of  which  are  charming  in  an  interior  of  this 
old-time  type. 

A  further  development  of  the  principle  of  balance 
is  that  in  which  the  objects  on  the  two  sides  of  the  cen- 
tral object  are  not  the  same  or  even  of  the  same  char- 
acter. Such  an  arrangement,  as  we  shall  by-and-by  see, 
does  away  with  formality,  and  imparts  a  more  familiar 
and  homelike  atmosphere  to  the  room  where  it  is  used. 

Although  balance  of  this  nature  is  simple  and  easily 
accomplished,  it  is  often  neglected  or  but  imperfectly 
managed.  An  example  of  such  faulty  balance  is  shown 
in  the  illustration  where,  on  the  right  of  a  fireplace,  a 
tea-table  with  two  small  pictures  above  fails  to  balance 
the  antique  organ  on  the  left.  The  readiness  with 
which  such  an  imperfection  can  be  remedied,  is  shown 
in  the  corresponding  illustration  where  the  two  small 
and  poorly  hung  pictures  have  given  way  to  a  larger 
picture  properly  placed  (Plate  90). 

An  example  of  what  amounts  not  only  to  disor- 
ganisation in  furnishing,  but  to  loss  of  homelike  feel- 
ing, is  that  of  a  room  of  generally  attractive  character 
with  its  comfortable  sofa  and  chair  on  opposing  sides 
of  a  fireplace  and  a  stand  placed  stiffly  between  (Plate 
91).  It  is  evident  that  the  chair  fails  to  balance  the 
sofa  in  length  and  that  the  stand  is  disjoined  from 
either.  Now  if  the  chair  were  pulled  slightly  forward, 
and  the  stand  moved  back,  not  directly  to  the  side  of 
the  chair  but  to  the  side  and  just  forward  of  its  edge, 
where  it  would  be  handy  to  the  chair 's  occupant,  it  will 
at  once  be  plain  that  an  altogether  different  atmosphere 
of  invitation  and  restfulness  had  entered  into  the  com- 
position. If  a  rug  were  laid  down  before  the  fireplace, 


ARRANGEMENT  OF  FURNITURE  285 

the  windows  simply  curtained,  some  of  the  objects  re- 
moved from  the  mantel  and  a  larger  clock  or  other 
object  introduced  to  give  centralisation,  the  whole 
effect  would  be  changed.  It  will,  therefore,  be  seen 
that  the  treatment  of  this  one  room  is  a  small  object- 
lesson  in  decoration,  and  points  out  what  an  infinite 
improvement  a  few  changes  in  position  and  addition 
can  make  in  an  interior  which  is  already  generally 
good,  so  far  as  it  goes. 

The  principle  of  balance  being  so  clearly  shown,  it 
might  prove  interesting  to  try  a  few  experiments  with 
light  pieces  of  furniture  in  one's  own  household,  espe- 
cially if  there  are  young  people  in  the  family.  The 
future  of  good  household-art  naturally  lies  with  the 
rising  generation,  and  if  those  who  are  now  young  can 
be  interested  in  such  matters  the  benefit  may  prove 
immeasurable.  Parents  might  also  find  their  children 
taking  a  vital  interest  in  the  attractiveness  and  neat- 
ness of  their  own  rooms.  The  writers,  therefore,  indi- 
cate a  few  such  experiments : 

If,  for  example,  we  have  a  fireplace,  or  other  large 
object,  with  a  small  space  on  each  side  of  it,  we  may 
place  a  chair  with  a  picture  above  it  in  each  space. 
Such  an  arrangement  is  balanced  but  is  formal,  and 
we  may  prefer  a  small  table  in  one  of  the  spaces.  If 
it  is  approximately  of  the  size  of  the  removed  chair 
we  shall  still  have  balance,  but,  if  the  table  is  long,  we 
shall  immediately  see  that  this  balance  is  disturbed, 
and  it  will  be  better  to  substitute  a  couch  for  the  chair 
on  the  other  side,  thus  matching  the  long  table  in  shape. 

We  may,  however,  alter  the  arrangement  which  first 
existed  by  the  use  of  a  tall  object  instead  of  a  long  one 
—we  may  wish  to  place  on  one  side  of  the  central  fire- 
place a  mahogany  bookcase  which,  although  not  much 
wider  than  the  chair,  if  bulky,  may  happen  to  exceed  it 


286  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

considerably  in  height.  It  is  plain  that  we  shall  have 
to  remove  the  one  picture  in  order  to  give  place  to  the 
bookcase,  and  we  then  have  the  case  on  one  side  and 
the  chair  with  picture  above  it  on  the  other.  If  the 
picture  be  of  strong  character  in  a  dark  frame  and  the 
chair  also  dark,  we  still  have  a  good  balance  to  the  case 
on  the  other  side,  but  if  the  chair  be  small  or  light  in 
colour  and  the  picture  be  likewise,  we  shall  not  have 
balance.  The  question  of  " value"  has,  therefore,  en- 
tered into  the  problem  as  well  as  that  of  size.  Value  is 
the  lightness  or  darkness  of  an  object  irrespective  of  its 
colour.  Balance  may  be  described  as  equal  weight  of 
effect,  and  it  is  that  which  we  must  secure. 

Another  principle  with  which  we  are  all  familiar  is 
the  avoiding  of  top-heaviness — we  should  not  place  a 
very  large  picture,  hanging  or  mirror  above  a  small 
chair  or  table.  It  is  really  surprising  sometimes  to  see 
how  little  is  required  in  this  direction  to  spoil  an  effect 
and  to  "get  upon  one's  nerves"  when  constantly  seen. 
In  such  instances,  we  should  recall  here,  also,  the 
principle  of  value;  for,  although  the  sizes  of  the  two 
objects  may  be  in  proper  relation,  the  arrangement 
will,  nevertheless,  be  bad  if  the  upper  one  be  too  strong 
and  dark  for  the  lower.  If  the  lower  is  also  frail  in 
build,  the  bad  result  will  further  be  intensified. 

Two  varieties  of  treatment  have  been  considered— 
that  in  which  the  objects  on  each  side  of  a  larger  cen- 
tral feature  were  alike  in  character  and  similarly  ar- 
ranged, and  that  in  which  they  were  different  but  were 
either  of  themselves  or  by  the  addition  of  other  ob- 
jects of  equal  general  effect. 

Occasionally  in  household  arrangement  two  other 
contingencies  arise.  It  may  be  that  on  the  one  side 
of  the  central  object  (such  as  a  fireplace)  we  wish  to 
use  some  such  piece  of  furniture  as  a  bookcase  of  mod- 


ARRANGEMENT  OF  FURNITURE  287 

erate  size  and  on  the  other  side  a  table  and  chair.  We 
so  place  them  at  equal  distances  from  the  fireplace  on 
its  two  sides,  but  are  disappointed  to  find  that  the  ap- 
pearance is  wrong,  that  the  latter  articles  do  not  suf- 
ficiently balance  the  former.  Even  when  we  place  a 
lamp  or  other  object  of  some  height  upon  the  table  the 
result  is  but  little  improved.  We  could  build  up  the 
effect  by  a  picture  upon  the  wall,  but  we  may  already 
have  done  all  we  wish  in  this  direction  and  may  really 
prefer  a  change  from  the  formal  balance.  It  may  easily 
be  secured.  It  will  be  remembered  that  the  writers' 
definition  of  balance  was  "equal  weight  of  effect" :  in 
order  therefore  to  give  the  object  or  group  which  is  the 
lighter  in  effect  the  same  weight  which  the  larger 
possesses  we  must  give  more  leverage  to  the  lighter. 
In  other  words,  as  we  move  it  farther  from  the  central 
object  it  gains  in  weight  of  effect.  A  few  inches  will 
usually  be  sufficient,  because  the  original  discrepancy 
should  not  be  great. 

The  second  contingency  is  where  there  is  no  central 
object  or  room  for  one,  but  where  the  wall  space  is 
sufficiently  large  for  the  placing  of  two  objects  or 
groups.  In  this  case  the  procedure  is  precisely  the 
same  except  that  instead  of  working  from  a  central 
object  we  work  from  a  central  point.  Measure  the  wall 
space  and  find  its  centre ;  if  the  two  objects  or  groups 
are  of  equal  weight  of  effect  place  them  equidistant 
from  this  central  point.  If  one  is  lighter  than  the  other 
move  the  lighter  farther  away  from  the  central  point 
until  it  is  felt  that  the  balance  is  correct.  There  will 
likely  be  other  circumstances  in  our  household  arrange- 
ment in  which  we  shall  have  to  exercise  this  balance  of 
feeling  and  to  which  this  will  be  a  guide.  Mathemati- 
cal calculation  would  be  too  abstruse,  and  a  little 
experiment  will  make  is  unnecessary  as  well. 


288  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

OBJECTS    OF    ^ENTKAL.    INTEREST 

Every  large  wal1  sp  ",e  should  have  an  object  of 
central  interest  about  *  ln±  other  objects  may  group, 
and  if  it  be  not  there  we  must  either  supply  or  create 
it.  It  may  be  supplied  by  one  of  the  larger  and  taller 
pieces  of  furniture,  by  a  large  mirror,  or  a  tapestry 
or  other  hanging;  it  may  be  created  by  building  up  a 
series  of  objects. 

As  these  built-up  effects  are  among  the  most  inter- 
esting and  attractive  decorative  facilities  we  possess, 
several  of  them  will  be  suggested. 

First  of  all,  they  give  us  the  opportunity  of  making 
the  most  of  and  of  bringing  out  the  true  beauty  of  fine 
pieces  which  yet  are  not  of  large  size.  One  might,  for 
instance,  be  the  happy  possessor  of  such  a  handsome 
inlaid  console  cabinet  as  that  shown  in  Plate  92  A,  but 
be  so  unknowing  as  to  place  it,  because  of  its  size,  in 
some  convenient  but  undistinguished  corner  where  its 
beauty  would  be  hidden  and  its  effect  as  a  decoration 
fatally  lost.  On  the  other  hand,  but  little  is  required 
to  make  of  it  a  centre  of  interest  worthy  the  name — the 
placing  upon  it  of  a  few  choice  objects  and  the  hanging 
above  it  of  the  unusual  but  simple  mirror  shows  its  true 
value.  This  group  might  be  flanked  by  handsome 
chairs  or  settees,  thus  furnishing  the  side  of  a  room 
which  it  would  be  a  pleasure  to  enter. 

A  different  but  similar  result  may  be  obtained  by 
the  use  of  a  long  but  low  bookcase.  Above  this  we  may 
hang  a  panel  nearly  as  long  as  the  bookcase  and,  upon 
the  latter,  place  a  few  objects  that  will  unite  the  two 
and  give  interest.  These  objects  might  be  a  plaque  or 
vases,  a  couple  of  small  pictures  and  a  pair  of  candle- 
sticks. Or  as  a  centralising  object  we  might  use  an 
attractive  table  or  chest  with  a  panel,  mirror,  or  pic- 
ture hanging  above  it,  and  a  sconce  on  each  side. 


A.    A    BUILT-UP    EFFECT    OF    CONSOLE- 
CABINET,   MIRROR   AND  ACCESSORIES 


B.  A    BUILT-UP   EFFECT   IN   AN    APARTMENT   RECEPTION-ROOM 
COUCH,  BACKING,  AND  A  PANEL  OF  FOUR  JAPANESE  PRINTS 

(The  couch  has  since  been  replaced  by  a  Sheraton  settee) 


ARRANGEMENT  OF  FURNITURE  289 

For  a  stately  room,  no  better  centralised  group 
could  be  imagined  than  such  an  arrangement  as  that 
of  the  Italian  Renaissance  furnishings  shown  in  Plate 
89  B,  and  if  one  lack  such  distinguished  materials  much 
the  same  result  might  be  obtained  by  articles  of  far 
less  cost. 

Probably  as  comfortable  and  homelike  a  composi- 
tion as  could  be  desired  is  that  which 'occupies  the  end 
of  a  little  room  illustrated  in  Plate  92  B.  Here  is  a 
roomy  couch  with  a  backing  to  match  the  covering,  hung 
from  a  brass  rod  upon  the  wall.  There  are  abundant 
cushions,  and  above  it  is  a  panel  consisting  of  a  series 
of  four  attractive  and  colourful  Japanese  prints  in  one 
mat  and  frame,  flanked  by  a  sconce  on  the  one  hand  and 
an  upright  panel  between  the  long  one  and  the  antique 
bookcase  on  the  other.  As  usual,  photography  has 
emphasised  the  pattern  of  the  covering.  A  Sheraton 
settee  with  quieter  coverings  has  since  taken  the  place 
of  the  couch. 

Sniall  hangings  are  less  often  used  in  such  situa- 
tions than  mirrors,  but  if  one  is  on  the  lookout  for  such 
things  it  would  be  possible  sooner  or  later  to  pick  up 
some  attractive  and  unusual  piece  of  drapery  that 
would  give  individuality  to  such  a  setting  (Plate  80  A). 

Carved  woodwork,  polychromatic  decoration,  a 
plaster  panel  or  a  Chinese  or  Japanese  decoration 
v/ould  all  be  appropriate  for  this  or  similar  places. 

Of  the  built-up  effects  that  have  been  suggested  it 
may  be  said  that  each  of  these  devices  has  its  own  in- 
terest and  that  all  might  be  used,  each  in  its  own 
situation. 

FIREPLACES 

We  have  the  expression  ''Hearth  and  Home,"  and 
when  there  is  a  fireplace,  it  is  the  central  object  of  in- 
terest and  should  be  so  treated.    In  many  old  houses,  a 
19 


290  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

settle  often  stood  endwise  to  the  room  at  one  or  both 
sides  of  the  fireplace,  and  in  modern  use  the  same  device 
may  be  employed.  A  tea-table,  sensibly  set  at  its  end, 
does  much  to  relieve  the  stiffness  of  a  settle  and  adds 
to  the 'home-like  atmosphere  of  the  composition. 

In  more  elegant  rooms  it  is  now  happily  quite  cus- 
tomary to  place  a  sofa  in  the  same  position.  An  excel- 
lent example  of  fireplace  treatment  is  shown  in  Plate 
56.  If  space  is  limited  it  is  sometimes  better  to  employ 
an  easy-chair,  with  perhaps  a  stand  or  small  table,  for 
the  opposing  side.  There  should  be  a  hearth  rug  and 
cricket,  hassock  or  a  sitting  pillow  or  two  upon  the 
floor.  Such  an  arrangement  at  once  gives  an  air  of 
comfort  and  rest.  If  a  room  is  too  small  to  admit  of  a 
full-length  couch  or  sofa,  we  could  use  one  of  the 
double-chair  settees,  or  simply  another  comfortable 
chair.  Sofas  are  sometimes  placed  directly  before  the 
fireplace  and  backed  by  a  table. 

In  large  living-rooms  or  libraries,  it  is  often  pleas- 
ing to  draw  up  a  small  table  with  books  and  a  chair 
before  the  fireplace,  placing  them  sufficiently  far  away 
to  avoid  any  appearance  of  crowding.  If,  owing  to  the 
arrangement  of  the  room,  this  should  be  found  to  look 
artificial,  take  them  away — nothing  but  sincerity  is 
tolerable. 

DOUBLE  AND  MINOR  CENTRES  OF  INTEREST 

In  a  great  salon,  one  central  object  (even  with  minor 
ones)  on  a  long  unbroken  wall  space  would  probably 
not  be  sufficient.  In  such  a  case  two  large  and  hand- 
some companion  cabinets  could  be  used.  They  would 
be  placed  with  less  space  between  them  than  at  their 
sides,  so  as  to  give  good  appearance  and  keep  the  com- 
panionable relations  of  the  two  without  the  monotony 
of  too  close  a  neighbourhood.  "With  these  should,  of 
course,  be  pleasantly  arranged  other  pieces  of  lesser 


ARRANGEMENT  OF  FURNITURE  291 

size  forming  attractive  groups.  As  such  cases  usually 
call  for  the  services  of  an  interior  decorator  it  is  hardly 
worth  while  to  take  up  other  expedients  here. 

In  large  rooms  especially,  all  furniture  should  not 
be  arranged  along  the  wall,  but  some  pieces  should  be 
placed  out  upon  the  floor  space;  on  the  side  of  a  long 
room,  it  is  otherwise  almost  impossible  to  escape  stiff- 
ness and  formality.  This  is  taken  up  a  little  later  on. 

If,  however,  a  room  be  long  but  too  narrow  to  allow 
other  than  a  wall  arrangement,  we  should,  in  addition 
to  the  main  centre,  establish  other  minor  centres  of 
interest.  If,  however,  an  imposing  fireplace  is  the  main 
centre,  we  may  place  a  cabinet  or  bookcase  in  the  middle 
of  the  long  wall  space  on  one  side,  and  one  of  our  built- 
up  effects  on  the  other:  these,  with  lower  pieces  of 
furniture  interspersed,  will  be  sure  to  give  desirable 
variety  and  interest.  In  all  cases  where  there  is  room 
for  a  considerable  amount  of  furniture  it  should,  when 
well  arranged,  fall  into  groups,  each  attractive  in  itself, 
natural  in  appearance,  and  composing  well  with  the 
groups  about  it. 

CORNERS 

Corners  are  usually  a  consolation  and  convenience 
rather  than  a  source  of  worry  (Plate  89  A) .  Frequently 
pieces  on  the  side  wall  are  close  enough  to  the  corner 
sufficiently  to  occupy  it,  while  the  other  corners  of  the 
room  prove  the  natural  resting  places  for  such  things 
as  desks,  tables  (rectangular  or  round),  tall  clocks, 
small  cabinets  or  bookcases,  screens  not  in  constant  use, 
sewing  and  serving  tables,  and  finally,  in  the  room 
where  it  is  used,  the  ubiquitous  sewing-machine — at 
present  usually  the  ugliest  and  often  the  most  offen- 
sively ornamented  object  with  which  decent  humanity 
is  afflicted.  To  hide  it  with  a  screen  is  as  yet  the  only 
resource. 

The  main  precaution  to  take  regarding  corners  is 


292  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

that  they  should  not  look  weak,  and  for  this  reason  they 
are  not  the  best  places  in  the  world  for  chairs,  unless 
these  be  roomy. 

In  drawing-rooms  a  grand  piano  often  finds  its  best 
situation  with  its  "nose"  in  a  corner  and  its  flat  side 
almost  parallel  with  one  wall,  rather  than  swung  out 
into  the  room  at  a  disagreeable  angle.  As  a  grand 
piano  is  not  high,  a  large  picture  or  hanging  on  the 
wall  occupied  by  its  flat  side  and  a  picture  hung  upon 
the  other  wall  will  be  advisable. 

The  placing  of  a  desk  or  other  such  piece  of  furni- 
ture diagonally  across  a  corner  is  unpleasing  unless 
there  is  a  jut  of  the  wall  partially  filling  the  space  be- 
hind and  so  justifying  the  arrangement.  This  is.  fre- 
quently the  case  in  new  steel-construction  apartment 
houses.  Kidney-shaped  desks  are  by  their  form  par- 
ticularly suited  to  corners.  A  tea-table  set  in  a  corner 
with  a  chair  behind  it  and  a  muffin  stand  at  the  side  is  a 
hospitable  arrangement  and  entirely  unobjectionable, 
because  the  corner  is  filled.  It  is  the  empty  triangular 
space  behind  pieces  of  furniture  that  is  unreasonable 
and  unpleasant. 

THE  SETTING  OF  FURNITURE  OUT  INTO  THE  ROOM 

We  have  just  looked  over  a  series  of  interiors  of 
modern  club-houses  and  handsome  dwellings  and  the 
first  expression  occurring  thereat  was  decidedly  unlit- 
erary.  It  seems  to  be  a  weakness  of  human  nature  that 
where  an  allowance  is  made  for  the  sake  of  variety 
and  use  it  too  often  becomes  an  obsession.  As  many  of 
these  interiors  with  furniture  set  "anyhow"  over  the 
floor  can  only  be  described  as  a  conglomeration,  it  is 
well  for  us  to  take  warning. 

Let  us  consider  then  what  we  may  properly  do  in 
the  placing  of  furniture  out  upon  the  floor  space.  We 
may  do  nothing  if  it  will  result  in  crowding.  Even  the 


ARRANGEMENT  OF  FURNITURE  293 

setting  of  a  single  table  in  the  centre  of  a  room  is  bad 
if  we  must  spoil  our  tempers  to  get  around  it.  In  small 
rooms  we  may,  however,  make  another  disposition  of 
a  table  which  is  pleasing  and  convenient.  Instead  of 
placing  it  flat  against  a  window  or  wall  space,  with  a 
chair  before  it,  its  back  to  the  room,  or  instead  of  plac- 
ing a  chair  at  either  end,  we  may  set  the  table  endwise 
to  the  wall,  or  to  one  side  of  the  window,  and  a  chair  at 
one  or  both  sides  of  the  table.  With  a  few  interesting' 
objects  upon  the  latter,  we  shall  find  that  we  have  an 
attractive  grouping. 

A  small  table  or  stand  in  front  of  an  end  of  a  sofa 
or  by  a  large  chair  at  once  commends  itself  because 
convenient. 

The  arrangement  of  a  sofa  backed  by  a  table  has  its 
convenience — we  may  sit  on  the  sofa  and  read  by  the 
light  placed  upon  the  table — but  we  should  be  careful 
that  the  two  pieces  chosen  agree  better  than  they  some- 
times do.  One  "set-out"  arrangement  which  seems  to 
have  widely  spread  among  householders  is  the  placing 
of  a  couch  or  seat  at  the  foot  of  a  bedstead  (Plate  88  A) 
— another  good  device  under  proper  conditions.  But 
often  we  have  been  obliged  to  smile  at  the  absurdity  of 
an  imposing  couch  at  the  foot  of  a  negligible  bedstead, 
an  amusing  example  of  the ' l  tail  wagging  the  dog. ' '  We 
often  wonder  why  persons  who  use  common,  sense  in 
most  concerns  of  life  fail  to  do  so  in  such  simple  matters. 
Is  it  that  they  are  determined  to  follow  a  vogue  of 
which  they  have  heard,  at  whatever  cost? 

Chairs  in  front  of  bookcases,  wardrobes  and  cab- 
inets are  annoying,  as  each  time  a  door  is  opened  the 
chair  must  be  moved;  and  why  add  to  human  misery 
by  strewing  chairs  and  stools  everywhere  around  to 
fall  over  or  stumble  against :  in  short,  why  so  crowd  a 
room  with  set-out  furniture  that  our  progress  through 


294  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

it  becomes  a  process  or  a  pilgrimage  ?    The  blocking  of 
doorways  is  equally  bad  practice. 

It  is  also  to  be  remembered  that  the  littering  of  a 
room  with  all  sorts  of  unrelated  objects  and  personal 
effects  is  utterly  destructive  of  repose  and  charm. 

Finally,  the  large  pieces  of  furniture  set  out  upon 
the  floor  space  should  follow  the  direction  of  the  one 
wall  or  the  other.  Impossible  angles  distract  us 
through  disturbing  the  harmony  of  line.  "Women, 
through  a  mistaken  idea  that  "  setting  things  cata- 
cornered ' '  gives  homelike  character,  are  notable  off en- 
ders  in  this  respect.  A  chair,  or  resting  stool  or  two, 
may  be  left  at  the  convenient  angle  at  which  naturally 
occupied,  but  if  we  go  beyond  this  we  have  disturbance. 

SCALE  AND  PROPORTION 

The  importance  of  considering  the  relative  sizes  of 
various  accompanying  objects  (the  relation  is  techni- 
cally called  scale)  runs  throughout  the  subject  of  in- 
terior decoration  and  must  everywhere  be  taken  into 
account.  With  it  is  intimately  associated  the  matter  of 
weight,  real  or  apparent.  Though  in  actual  avoirdupois 
a  wooden  moulding  be  not  heavy,  we  may  not  rightly 
put  up  a  cornice  so  out  of  scale  that  it  appears  as  if 
it  might  bring  down  the  ceiling  upon  our  heads. 

This  is  so  obvious  that  it  seems  few  would  trans- 
gress, yet  is  it  more  obvious  than  the  following  which 
we  frequently  see :  window  poles  stout  enough  for  an 
athlete 's  horizontal-bar  from  which  depend  curtains 
of  filmy  net  or  lace  weighing  but  a  few  ounces ;  fragile 
tables  groaning  under  the  weight  of  huge  lamps ;  car- 
pets and  upholstery  of  strong  and  sweeping  pattern  in 
tiny  rooms,  and  the  heterogeneous  mixture  of  furniture 
formal  and  sprawling,  heavy  and  light? 

In  every  age  save  the  present  one  of  high  enlight- 


ARRANGEMENT  OF  FURNITURE  295 

enmeiit  has  there  been  an  instinctive  sense  of  fitness 
and  proportion  even  among  ''the  people "  —witness  the 
admirable  congruity  between  furniture  and  interior  in 
the  old  English  cottage  and  the  houses  of  Continental 
peasants.  Hardly  nowadays  shall  we  find  that  sense 
even  among  them  that  consider  themselves  the  edu- 
cated and  elect. 

"We  have  taken  the  most  delightful  house — Tudor, 
you  know :  with  dark  oak  panelling, ' '  says  Mrs.  A.  She 
has,  most  unfortunately,  and  proceeds  to  fill  it  with  a 
number  of  vanloads  of  accumulated  mahogany  furni- 
ture. Not  only  do  oak  and  mahogany  go  badly  together 
as  regards  colour,  but  they  are  of  an  entirely  different 
provenance  and  spirit,  having  precisely  as  much  in 
common  as  an  eighteenth  century  gentleman  and  Sir 
Walter  Raleigh.  "Other  times,  other  manners." 

"Our  apartment  living-room/'  remarks  Mr.  B.,  the 
broker,  "is  so  homelike,  with  its  low,  heavy  beamed 
ceiling."  By  the  fireplace  of  that  truly  long,  low,  com- 
fortable room  with  its  horizontal  lines  you  would  find  a 
big  easy-chair — for  Mr.  B.  values  his  comfort.  But  Mrs. 
B.  is  "refined"  and  evidences  that  quality  by  the  tall, 
high-shouldered,  spindle-leg  furniture,  upholstered  in 
fabrics  in  attenuated  colour  and  small  pattern.  One 
looks  up  from  these  egg-shell  pieces  to  the  massive 
beams  above  and  trusts  they  will  not  fall. 

And  at  No.  ,  Street  (we  can  readily  fill 

the  blanks)  the  lofty  room  with  its  fine  old  mantel  and 
woodwork  in  white  and  beautifully  modelled  plaster 
ceiling  is  occupied  by dumpy  mission  and  a  mid- 
Victorian  black-walnut  bookcase! 

EXPERIMENTATION 

Interior  decoration  is  not  a  mystery:  it  is  the  use 
of  enlightened  common  sense.  Experience  leads  us  to 


296  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

the  conviction  that  even  those  who  are  unskilled  in  home 
arrangement  have  more  intrinsic  ability  in  this  direc- 
tion than  they  realise,  and  it  is  the  aim  of  the  present 
writers  to  aid  them  in  using  that  which  they  possess. 
Bearing  in  mind  the  simple  and  gradually  developed 
suggestions  that  have  been  made,  if  the  reader  will  be- 
gin with  the  practice,  we  fancy  that  the  intrinsic  knowl- 
edge of  which  we  have  spoken  will  rally  to  his  aid.  In 
other  words,  most  persons,  when  they  see  a  tiling,  have 
a  fairly  good  eye  for  balance,  distance  and  scale ;  their 
difficulty  usually  has  been  that  they  have  not  looked  and 
considered;  even  those  who  flatter  themselves  upon 
their  artistic  ability  often  fail  to  weigh  sufficiently  and 
so  fall  into  errour. 

Experimentation  is  the  best  teacher.  Begin  as  has 
been  suggested,  with  the  principal  and  obvious  pieces, 
afterwards  grouping  the  others  as  well  as  possible. 
Then,  using  one's  own  natural  eye  for  balance  and  ef- 
fect, weigh  the  result.  It  will  probably  be  seen  at  once 
that  a  certain  piece  will  not  do  "here"  but  will  do 
"there,"  or  that  it  must  be  moved  in  one  direction  or 
the  other.  If  a  happy  result  is  secured  with  any  one 
group,  learn  to  let  it  alone;  pass  on  to  another  until 
each  group  is  satisfactory,  and  all  the  groups  pull  sat- 
isfactorily together. 

You  will  then  have  accomplished  a  gratifying  re- 
sult in  interior  arrangement,  with  correct  balance, 
scale  and  line. 

It  has  justly  been  said  that  not  only  must  each  of 
the  four  walls  of  a  room  look  well,  but  that  each  must 
look  well  in  relation  to  that  next  to  it — that  the  diag- 
onal result  must  also  be  good.  To  this  may  be  added 
that  the  view  from  each  doorway  should  be  attractive 
and  inviting. 


CHAPTER  VII 

FURNITURE  AND  ITS  CHOOSING 

PRESENT-DAY  FURNITURE  AND  ITS  SUPPLY.  WICKER.  PERIOD 
FURNITURE.  ANTIQUES  AND  REPRODUCTIONS.  COMMER- 
CIAL FURNITURE.  SUITES  AND  ODD  PIECES.  FURNITURE 
FOR  THE  ' '  MODERN  ' '  DECORATION. 

IN  the  first  chapter  of  this  Part,  "The  Basis  of  Suc- 
cessful Decoration,"  we  have  strongly  advocated 
the  use  of  Period  Furniture  when  and  where  it  may 
be  had.    The  facilities  at  hand  for  the  purchase  of  this 
furniture  will  forthwith  fully  be  dealt  with,  but  it  may 
be  helpful  first  to  consider  what  may  be  done  when, 
for  reason  of  location  or  price  it  is  beyond  reach. 

PRESENT-DAY  FURNITURE 

The  assortment  of  good  modern  pieces  is  not  ex- 
tremely large,  but  we  may  at  least  be  thankful  for  what 
there  is.  The  utter  badness  of  all  mobiliary  design 
after  the  decline  of  the  Empire  style  persisted  for  many 
years — we  have  but  to  recall  the  furniture  of  our 
fathers  and  grandfathers,  the  period  of  black  walnut 
and  later  of  varnished  golden  oak.  "Eastlake"  was  a 
failure,  as  will  be  every  attempt  to  create  a  style  not 
based  upon  tradition  and  the  long-established  prin- 
ciples of  beauty.  ' '  L  'art  Nouveau ' '  has  happily  passed. 

The  Mission  style,  which  as  the  first  attempt  to 
escape  from  jig-saw  and  gingerbread  is  praiseworthy, 
is  strictly  utilitarian,  heavy,  unbeautiful,  ungraceful, 
and  with  lines  as  antique  as  the  ark.  There  is  one  thing 
to  be  said  in  its  favour — it  is  admirable  for  a  happy- 
go-lucky  houseful  of  children,  for  it  is  almost  impos- 
sible to  destroy. 

297 


298  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

In  its  lighter  forms  particularly  it  is  much  more 
attractive  when  painted  and  perhaps  banded  or  treated 
with  a  few  strong,  modest  decorations,  and  upholstered 
in  good  virile  style  in  solid  colourful  fabrics  not  too 
fine  for  its  texture,  in  strong  stripes,  or  in  a  bold 
printed  linen  or  cretonne  with  rather  striking  but  taste- 
ful colour.  So  done  it  is  excellent  furniture  for  the 
* '  newer ' '  decoration. 

Then  there  is  wicker — and  is  it  not  a  comment  upon 
the  boasted  artistic  ability  and  advanced  civilisation 
of  the  later  nineteenth  century  to  say  that  this  is  prob- 
ably the  most  worthy  thing  in  mobiliary  development 
which  it  accomplished !  In  its  way  and  in  its  place  it  is 
so  good,  however,  that  a  separate  section  will  be 
given  it. 

We  have  also  the  handsomer  grade  of  department- 
store  mahogany  furniture,  most  of  which  to  the  tyro 
looks  like  period  furniture  but  is  not.  Last  summer  the 
writers  passed  along  a  series  of  windows  devoted  to  a 
1  'sale"  of  these  goods  and  grew  sick  at  heart. 

There  is,  too,  Peasant  or  English  Cottage  furni- 
ture, and  for  modest  homes  nothing  better  has  ever 
been  devised  (Plates  78  B,  93  and  126).  The  reader 
will  kindly  remember,  however,  that  this  is  period  fur- 
niture as  much  as  any  other. 

Some  of  these  pieces  may  be  found  in  the  shops,  for 
there  are  a  few  companies  that  are  manufacturing  it. 
There  are  also  two  firms,  and  perhaps  others,  that  make 
it  and  sell  direct  to  the  consumer  by  means  of  repre- 
sentative sheets  or  catalogues. 

Messrs.  William  Leavens  &  Co.,  Inc.,  of  Boston, 
manufacture  this  cottage  furniture  and  also  pieces  in 
the  Mission  vein.  By  use  of  the  first  a  home  may  be 
charmingly  fitted  up — if  one  but  has  the  taste;  and  we 
are  trying  to  show  the  way.  For  the  living-room  a 


FURNITURE  AND  ITS  CHOOSING  299 

large  gate-legged  table  and  one  or  two  smaller  plain 
wall-tables ;  simple  cottage  chairs ;  some  easy,  comfort- 
able wicker  chairs  with  seat  and  back  cushions ;  a  large 
winged  upholstered  chair  (for  this  a  beautiful  cretonne 
furniture-cover  may  be  made  which  can  be  taken  off 
for  cleaning) ;  a  box-couch  with  solid  colour  cover,  per- 
haps of  velour,  and  attractive  pillows  of  various  kinds ; 
a  tapestry  or  brocade  hanging  (see  Plate  128  of  a  re- 
modelled farm-house)  with  a  simple  chest  of  drawers 
below  it,  or  else  a  long  table  in  the  place  of  the  chest. 
On  either  of  the  last  can  be  placed  attractive  candle- 
sticks with  candles  and  a  bowl  or  two.  A  convenient 
desk  is  often  welcome. 

With  these  appropriately  go  bare,  stained  or 
painted  floors  with  a  few  simple  rugs  in  good  colouring 
to  accord  with  the  colour-scheme  decided  upon  (see  sec- 
tion Unity  and  Variety) ;  simple  white  curtains ;  a  good 
lamp ;  a  mirror  or  hanging  over  a  small  table  used  as 
a  console.  A  few  good  prints  in  colour  or  monotone,  or 
Japanese  prints,  in  simple,  well-chosen  frames,  or  a 
really  excellent  water-colour  or  two  are  all  the  pictures 
needed. 

For  accessories  use  such  things  as  a  Chinese  repro- 
duction of  a  Kang-Hsi  or  Chien-Lung  vase,  a  bowl  or 
two  of  pottery  in  such  solid  colours  as  rose,  blue,  grey 
or  yellow ;  a  cylindrical  Chinese  medallion-ware  lidded 
jar  for  cigarettes  and  a  rose-bowl  of  transparent  glass. 
By  referring  to  the  various  chapters  under  which  these 
matters  of  furnishing  are  discussed,  many  hints  and 
illustrations  will  be  found.  A  newly  married  couple  of 
moderate  means  will  find  this  method  the  most  desir- 
able and  as  inexpensive  as  is  anything  in  these  days 
of  high  costs. 

Some  of  the  pieces  might  be  painted  and  others 
stained  in  the  reddish-brown  found  on  the  colour-chart 


300  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

(not  imitation  mahogany).  As  means  grow  larger  good 
mahogany  or  walnut  pieces  (antique  or  faithful  repro- 
ductions) may  be  substituted  and  some  of  the  original 
furniture  used  elsewhere. 

This  same  firm  (Leavens  &  Co.)  makes  two  excellent 
styles  of  beds — those  with  simple  slat  head  and  foot 
boards  and  the  turned  four-poster.  If  twin-beds  are 
used  (and  they  should  be  if  two  occupy  one  room)  the 
slat  form  is  the  better  as  the  others  give  too  "postery" 
an  appearance  where  two  beds  are  employed.  They 
also  supply  good  plain  chests  of  drawers.  It  is  better 
to  get  these  without  the  attached  mirrors  and  secure 
one  with  old  mahogany  or  rosewood  frame,  which  can 
readily  be  picked  up  at  one  of  the  antique  shops.  Or 
such  a  mirror  as  that  which  hangs  above  the  console 
in  Plate  92  A  would  be  excellent. 

A  rather  more  expensive  and  also  pleasing  sort  of 
furniture  is  made  by  the  Erskine-Danf  orth  Corporation 
of  New  York.  This  comprises  excellent  pieces  of  the 
simpler  forms  of  period  furniture,  some  of  them,  for- 
tunately for  variety's  sake,  other  than  English,  and 
good  forms  of  Peasant  furniture  painted  and  deco- 
rated. Even  in  inexpensive  furnishing  it  is  well  to  bear 
in  mind  the  facilities  of  International-Inter  Period  Dec- 
oration treated  in  Part  III. 

It  is  unfortunate  that  there  is  not  yet  upon  the  mar- 
ket a  good  supply  of  Directoire  furniture,  than  which 
nothing  can  be  more  simply  graceful  and  attrac- 
tive. It  is  practically  simplified  Louis  Seize  with  a 
little  more  swing  in  the  arms  and  legs  of  chairs  and 
settees  (Plates  171  and  172).  Decorators  fully  appre- 
ciate the  qualities  of  this  furniture,  and  it  is  surprising 
that  more  of  it  has  not  previously  been  made.  It  is  but 
one  additional  indication  of  the  slowness  of  American 
furniture  manufacturers  in  realising  that  there  is  a 


FURNITURE  AND  ITS  CHOOSING  301 

wide  field  for  them  if  they  will  but  supply  faithful  re- 
productions of  simple  forms  of  period  furniture  such 
as  this  and  those  pieces  used  in  the  remodelled  farm- 
house, and  at  moderate  prices. 

It  is  to  be  hoped  that  in  these  times  of  reconstruc- 
tion and  renewed  enterprise  both  manufacturers  and 
dealers  will  awake  to  the  fact  that  there  are  people  of 
moderate  means  but  cultivated  tastes  who  are  looking 
to  them  to  supply  their  needs.  If  they  do  not,  acute 
foreign  manufacturers  are  likely  to  do  so  to  the  detri- 
ment of  American  interests. 

There  is  a  considerable  amount  of  painted  furniture 
of  modern  character  upon  the  market — most  of  it  being 
simplifications  and  variations  from  eighteenth  century 
forms.  These  are  temporarily  attractive ;  that  is,  they 
seem  fresh  and  modern  (largely  because  of  their  col- 
ouring) until  one  realises  their  remote  origin  and 
considers  how  much  better  is  the  origin  than  the  deri- 
vation. It  is  a  pity  that  they  do  not  show  greater  dis- 
tinction of  design. 

WICKEE  FUENITURE 

The  making  of  furniture  in  willow,  reed,  rattan, 
cane  and  bamboo  (the  term  wicker  seems  commonly 
used  for  all  of  them)  is  one  of  the  most  serviceable  and 
useful  of  modern  mobiliary  developments.  These  ma- 
terials have  occasionally  been  tortured  into  forms  to 
which  they  are  not  suited,  but  they  have  generally 
proved  most  satisfactory  and  durable.  The  reasonable 
price  of  willow  furniture  has  been  a  great  aid  to  those 
who  have  much  to  do  upon  small  means.  Those  who  have 
taken  it  up  for  this  reason  may  congratulate  them- 
selves that  with  these  and  other  simple  forms  they  have 
done  much  better  than  those  who  have  spent  larger 


302  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

sums  upon  highly  ornamented  and  often  grotesque 
modern  pieces. 

The  closely-woven  reed  furniture  (Plate  94)  is 
naturally  more  expensive,  as  it  is  also  firmer  and  more 
compact.  One  writer  designed  and  had  made  to  order 
a  small  armchair  in  this  material  which  after  some 
years  of  use  seems  practically  indestructible.  Since 
then  numerous  beautiful  forms  have  been  brought  out 
in  all  these  materials  and  in  close  and  open  mesh,  so 
that  one  may  well  grow  enthusiastic  over  the  possibil- 
ities of  wicker  furniture.  Stained  a  mahogany  shade 
and  given  attractive  cushions  such  pieces  go  well  in  any 
but  formal  or  luxurious  rooms,  and  when  painted  in 
such  tones  as  grey,  grey  blue,  grey  mauve,  sage  green, 
cream  buff,  yellow,  rose  or  black  and  accompanied  by 
upholstery  in  striped  goods,  cretonne  or  printed  linen, 
they  are  often  really  handsome  and  perfectly  suitable 
for  city  houses  and  apartments.  For  use  with  the 
''Modern"  Decoration  this  furniture  is  often  painted 
in  brilliant  colour.  Frequently  staining  or  painting  is 
not  necessary,  for  in  some  rooms  their  natural  colour 
is  entirely  harmonious,  and  even  interspersed  among 
mahogany  the  lighter  note  proves  occasionally  a  needed 
contrast. 

For  the  country  or  seashore  there  is  nothing  better, 
and  wicker  is  especially  adapted  to  sun  parlours,  pro- 
tected porches,  morning  and  living-rooms.  In  the  bed- 
room of  either  man  or  woman  a  comfortable  arm-chair 
of  this  light,  cool  and  serviceable  material,  with  a  back 
high  enough  to  rest  the  head  against,  will  prove  a  boon 
to  tired  minds  and  bodies  for  seizing  a  short  rest  while 
it  can  be  had  in  the  intervals  of  our  busy  lives. 

The  Oriental  forms,  with  flaring  backs,  and  the 
hour-glass  chairs  are  still  imported.  Some  are  also 


FURNITURE  AND  ITS  CHOOSING  303 

made  by  American  manufacturers.    The  ' '  Dryad ' '  fur- 
niture is  also  very  attractive. 

The  Chinese  bird-cages  (Plate  126)  and  the  old 
style  cages  of  willow,  largest  in  the  middle  and  taper- 
ing at  both  top  and  bottom  (Plate  93  A),  are  most 
pleasing.  Hung  in  a  sunny  white-curtained  window 
they  give  cheer  and  have  the  atmosphere  of  home.  The 
flower  baskets  of  flat  basket-work  may  be  mentioned 
here  as  equally  attractive. 

PERIOD  FURNITURE 

There  remains  the  long  and  noble  line  of  Period 
Furniture.  In  considering  it  a  certain  amount  of 
knowledge  must  be  taken  for  granted  by  the  writers. 
Those  not  familiar  with  the  subject  are  referred  to 
"The  Practical  Book  of  Period  Furniture,"  by  Eber- 
lein  and  McClure,  where  they  will  find  it  treated  in 
detail.*  Part  I  of  this  volume  is  replete  with  informa- 
tion and  Part  III  on  International-Interperiod  Deco- 
ration should  carefully  be  studied. 

Not  everyone  can  afford  genuine  antiques,  and  good 
examples  of  certain  special  pieces  are  not  always  to  be 
picked  up  just  when  desired.  The  beautiful  qualities 
of  the  old  woods  and  the  patina  of  time  are  not  to  be 
found  in  reproductions,  but  otherwise  they  may  thor- 
oughly be  commended — when  they  are  faithful.  Just 
why  so  much  "Near  Period"  furniture  persists  is 
rather  puzzling.  Doubtless,  the  manufacturers  at  first 
found  genuine  reproductions  difficult  to  sell,  for  after 
long  years  biassed  by  the  bad,  the  good  would  natu- 
rally be  slow  in  gaining  genuine  appreciation.  Perhaps 
these  conditions  may  still  exist  to  a  certain  extent,  but 

*  For  Italian,  Spanish  and  Portuguese  forms  v.  "Practical  Book  of 
Italian,  Spanish  and  Portuguese  Furniture"  by  Eberlein  and  McClure, 
in  preparation. 


304  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

just  why  adaptations  nearly  enough  correct  to  cause 
many  purchasers  to  think  they  are  securing  genuine 
styles  should  sell  better  is  difficult  to  say,  particularly 
as  such  pieces  are  profusely  advertised  as  being  of 
certain  periods.  Manufacturers  should  remember  that 
distortions  of  original  forms  cause  positive  pain  to 
those  who  "know,"  and  as  the  number  of  such  persons 
is  largely  increasing,  the  reputations  of  such  manu- 
facturers are  bound  to  suffer  in  the  end. 

"We  think,  however,  that  there  have  been  indications 
of  a  return  to  a  saner  point  of  view,  and  that  there 
will  be  less  and  less  adaptation  during  the  coming 
years.  In  the  meantime,  purchasers  will  do  well  to 
confine  themselves  to  faithful  reproductions  only. 

SELECTING  FUENITUKE  ACCOKDING  TO   QUALITIES  OF 
MEANING 

In  considering  Period  Furniture,  as  indeed  with 
the  whole  subject  of  decoration,  let  us  appeal  for  a 
broader  and  more  catholic  spirit  than  is  often  found. 
Just  why  the  sympathies  and  appreciation  of  many 
writers  and  decorators  are  so  limited  is  rather  puz- 
zling. One  may  certainly  prefer  one  style  to  all  others 
— such  preference  will  usually  be  found  temperamen- 
tal— without  exalting  that  style  to  the  depreciation  of 
others. 

There  have  been  a  few  bad  periods  and  there  have 
been  some  bad  pieces  designed  in  all  good  periods,  but 
these  may  be  ignored.  If  we  review  the  various  periods 
and  styles  we  shall  find  that  each  is  excellent  for  its 
own  qualities  and  that  its  qualities  differ  from  those 
of  others.  Let  us,  therefore,  enjoy  and  employ  them 
in  accordance  with  this  and  not  quarrel  with  them  be- 
cause they  do  not  possess  that  which  belongs  to  others. 
We  shall,  as  usual,  make  ourselves  clear  by  an  example. 


FURNITURE  AND  ITS  CHOOSING  305 

There  are  some  whose  temperament  inclines  them 
toward  the  classic,  the  refined  and  the  formal  who  are 
scathing  in  their  remarks  upon  the  furniture  of  Queen 
Anne.  Queen  Anne  furniture  is  not  of  classic  style,  but 
we  find  something  else  which  the  classic  does  not  al- 
ways possess — quaintness,  homeliness  and  comfort. 
May  we  quote  here  a  phrase  from  Henry  James  in  re- 
lation to  objects  of  far  less  artistic  worth  than  Queen 
Anne  furniture :  *  *  The  infirmity  of  art  was  the  candour 
of  affection. ' '  There  we  have  it  in  a  few  words.  "We 
may  often  love  an  object  which  falls  short  of  the  su- 
premest  beauty,  while  that  beauty  incarnate  in  another 
object  may  fill  us  with  undying  admiration  but  leave 
our  affections  cold. 

The  classic,  the  romantic  and  the  quaint  each  has 
its  place  in  our  varied  lives  and  circumstances.  We 
need  not  disparage  one  because  of  the  other:  broad- 
mindedness  will  see  that  in  one  establishment  or  another 
there  is  a  place  for  each.  A  study  of  Part  I  and  Part 
III  on  Internationl-Interperiod  Decoration,  will  show 
the  qualities  and  what  might  be  termed  the  meanings 
of  the  various  styles,  when  we  can  then  determine  which 
of  them  are  best  suited  to  our  own  use  and  circum- 
stances. 

ANTIQUES  AND  REPRODUCTIONS 

In  all  the  large  cities  there  are  dealers  in  imported 
antiques.  These  pieces  are  usually  choice  and  neces- 
sarily high  in  price,  but  those  who  can  afford  them  will 
find  these  dealers  reliable  and  fully  informed. 

There  is  also  the  dealer  in  antiques  who  is  a  cabinet- 
maker as  well.  The  antiques  in  his  stock  whether  of 
British  or  American  style,  are  usually  of  early  Amer- 
ican make,  and  it  may  be  said  that  in  beauty  of  the 
woods  employed  and  in  workmanship  they  are  equal  to 
the  imported  pieces. 
20 


306  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

Indeed,  we  are  informed  by  a  cabinet-making 
dealer  who  has  handled  both  that  the  carcase-work  of 
the  American  pieces  is  usually  the  stronger.  Some 
beautifully  carved  and  elaborate  furniture  was  made 
here  and  such  examples  may  well  be  called  "  museum 
pieces."  They  now  fetch  nearly  or  quite  as  much  as 
British  work. 

Our  American  cabinet-makers  usually  concerned 
themselves,  however,  with  the  production  of  the  less 
elaborate  but  sufficiently  ornamented  forms,  together 
with  the  simple  pieces,  and  these  are  still  within  reach 
of  those  of  moderate  means.  Indeed  these  antiques  and 
cabinet-makers'  reproductions  may  still  sometimes  be 
purchased  at  lower  prices  than  new  commercial  furni- 
ture. There  are  especially  in  the  East  well-known  fur- 
niture makers  handling  their  own  product  and  also 
large  establishments  (which  might  be  termed  cabinet- 
making  factories)  which  sell  through  decorators  and  the 
highest  class  of  dealers,  both  of  which  make  fine  and 
faithful  reproductions  of  Period  Furniture  of  various 
nationalities  and  styles.  The  pieces  chosen  are  gen- 
erally more  unusual  and  often  more  elaborate  than 
those  made  by  the  smaller  cabinet-makers  and  the  prices 
are  necessarily  higher. 

The  cabinet-makers'  reproductions  do  not  usually 
consist  of  the  more  elaborate  pieces,  but  of  those  of 
quite  sufficient  ornament,  often  very  handsome,  well 
constructed  of  excellent  mahogany  or  walnut  and  with 
the  soft,  desirable  finish. 

COMMERCIAL  PERIOD  FURNITURE 

There  are  many  large  factories  throughout  the 
country,  with  superb  equipment,  turning  out  quantities 
of  furniture  of  excellent  workmanship,  mostly  by  ma- 
chinery. This  furniture  is  found  in  good  furniture-  and 


FURNITURE  AND  ITS  CHOOSING  307 

department-shops  and  is  thoroughly  satisfactory  ex- 
cept— that  much  or  most  of  it  is  not  faithful  period 
furniture — perhaps  in  many  cases  it  does  not  pretend 
to  be.  With  no  wish  to  be  invidious,  the  fact  that  it  is 
not  faithful  is  to  the  present  writers  a  very  large  reser- 
vation indeed.  An  acquaintance  recently  observed  that 
they  are  just  enough  wrong  to  be  misleading  and  inju- 
rious to  one's  sense  of  rightness  of  form. 

Some  of  these  are  not  in  themselves  bad  pieces  of 
furniture,  others  are  " reproductions,"  losing  the  pro- 
portions and  virility  of  their  originals,  and  many  of 
them  are  merely  designed  more  or  less  after  certain 
styles  or  mixtures  of  styles,  some  of  them  containing 
features  which  have  no  congruity  whatever. 

It  is  to  this  furniture  we  have  previously  referred 
and  for  which  we  then  said  we  see  no  reason;  the 
prices  asked  would  certainly  seem  to  warrant  a  faith- 
ful reproduction.  A  few  enquiries  will  show  how  these 
figures  compare  with  those  of  cabinet-makers'  repro- 
ductions or  even  with  those  of  the  correct  and  elaborate 
forms  referred  to  in  a  preceding  section. 

A  desideratum  is  the  manufacture  of  simple  forms 
of  faithful  Period  furniture  in  greater  quantities  and 
within  the  reach  of  those  of  quite  moderate  means. 

That  our  own  strictures  are  moderate  may  be  seen 
by  the  following  quotation  from  an  address  before  the 
Architectural  League  of  New  York  by  the  President 
of  a  large  furniture  manufacturing  company,  and 
printed  in  ' '  Good  Furniture. '  '*  Referring  to  these  re- 
productions of  the  English  furniture  of  the  seventeenth 
and  eighteenth  centuries,  he  says :  '  *  Not  10  per  cent, 
of  this  furniture  gives  the  public  even  a  faint  idea  as  to 
what  those  styles  really  were,  wherein  lies  their  charm, 
and  why  those  products  of  a  vigorous,  active  and  pro- 
gressive age,  in  their  true  character,  should  have  so 

•May,  1919,  pages  212-213. 


308  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

much  of  appeal  for  us  to-day.  Our  great  public  really 
knows  almost  nothing  of  them,  and  therefore  is  not 
in  a  position  to  judge  the  good  from  the  bad,  not  only 
in  old  work,  but  in  the  novelties  of  design  which  each 
year  we  see  develop  into  a  fad  and  then  fade  away  into 
nothingness."  Later  he  refers  to  these  reproductions 
as  ' '  commercial  crimes  committed  in  that  name. '  ' 

This  condition  of  affairs  is  largely  the  fault  of  the 
furniture-buying  public,  and  that  public  can  change  the 
condition  as  soon  as  it  wishes.  All  that  is  required  is  to 
make  its  will  known,  to  insist  upon  straight  reproduc- 
tions and  to  buy  nothing  else. 

In  the  eighteenth  century  the  number  of  gentlemen 
who  made  a  real  study  of  decorative  matters  is  surpris- 
ing, and  we  know  from  the  correspondence  of  the  period 
that  the  interest  was  decidedly  general.  Our  own 
public  is  too  ill-informed  to  be  able  to  discern  the  ' '  good 
from  the  bad,"  and  too  lethargic  to  improve  itself  by 
means  of  authoritative  books  and  a  little  study  of 
authentic  examples  in  the  museums.  As  it  is  more 
greatly  interested  in  * '  movies ' '  than  in  the  improvement 
of  its  homes,  it  is  consequently  quite  content  with 
* '  commercial  crimes. ' ' 

The  exceptions — and  their  number  is  constantly 
increasing — deserve  the  greater  honour. 

SUITES  AND  ODD  PIECES 

The  idea  that  a  room  must  be  furnished  exclusively 
with  one  suite  of  furniture  is  happily  defunct;  and  yet, 
like  most  such  popular  conceptions,  it  contains  a  cer- 
tain amount  of  validity;  the  errour  lying  in  its  being 
narrowed  into  a  decorative  dictum.  If  we  substitute 
may  for  "must"  and  delete  "exclusively"  we  shall 
arrive  at  the  truth  that  in  some  instances  a  suite  of 
furniture  is  an  excellent  basis  upon  which  to  work. 

In    a    large    drawing-room,    particularly    of    the 


FURNITURE  AND  ITS  CHOOSING  309 

Georgian  period  or  in  the  styles  of  Louis  Quinze  or 
Louis  Seize,  it  is  highly  advisable  that  sofas,  chairs, 
stools,  couches,  cabinets  and  tables  should  form  a  suite 
or  be  sufficiently  in  keeping  essentially  to  do  so.  To 
these,  however,  may  advantageously  be  added  other 
pieces,  still  in  keeping,  but  sufficiently  different  to  give 
variety.  In  the  dining-room  it  is  well  that  the  chairs 
about  the  table  should  form  a  set,  but  if  the  room  be 
large  we  may  well  add  wall  chairs  of  harmonising  but 
different  build  to  redeem  the  room  from  bareness  and 
too  great  uniformity. 

Even  in  the  informal  drawing-  or  living-room  a 
settee  and  a  few  matching  chairs  among  other  furniture 
undoubtedly  give  an  aspect  of  unity  which  is  not  so 
evident  if  all  the  pieces  differ  one  from  another. 

One  of  the  best  plans  in  the  furnishing  of  informal 
rooms  is  to  select  a  sufficient  number  of  pieces  of  one 
period  or  style,  though  not  necessarily  matching,  to 
form  a  basis,  adding  to  these  other  furniture  various 
but  not  conflicting.  With  these  may  well  be  used  a  few 
appropriate  lacquered  or  painted  pieces. 

The  whole  subject  of  the  mingling  of  cognate  styles 
is  fully  and  scientifically  treated  in  Part  III  on  Inter- 
national-Interperiod  Decoration. 

FURNITURE  FOR  THE  " MODERN  DECORATION*' 

There  is  no  doubt  that  of  recent  years,  in  the  revival 
of  interest  in  good  furnishing,  great  attention  has  been 
given  to  furniture  and  sometimes  expense  has  been 
lavished  upon  it  not  out  of  proportion  to  its  deserts 
but  in  undue  relation  to  the  total  sum  which  the  fur- 
nisher has  to  spend ;  so  that  other  household  accessor- 
ies have  suffered.  Sometimes,  where  funds  are  suf- 
ficient for  all  needs  this  has  taken  the  form  simply  of 
an  interest  in  furniture  too  exclusive  of  other  deco- 
rative features  and  for  its  own  sake  rather  than  for  its 


310  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

fitness  in  the  proposed  scheme.  In  a  general  reaction 
against  past  methods,  furniture,  therefore,  and  espe- 
cially handsome  period  furniture,  has  come  in  for  its 
share  of  decrial  with  the  new  movers  and  is  relegated 
to  a  secondary  place. 

Anyone  who  has  given  study  to  the  subject  of  house- 
hold decoration  will  freely  admit  that  in  many  homes 
simpler  and  far  less  costly  pieces  would  have  given  a 
better  and  more  coherent  result;  this  by  no  means 
should  imply  a  lessened  interest  in  furniture  but  rather 
a  larger  and  more  intelligent  consideration  of  it 
whether  simple  or  handsome.  It  should,  in  short,  oc- 
cupy its  place  adequately  but  not  unduly  in  the  plan 
of  decoration  as  regards  its  form,  its  colour  and  its 
arrangement. 

The  new  decoration  lies  largely  in  the  direction  of 
simplicity  and  therefore  this  school  advocates  simple 
styles  and  takes  as  its  models  the  Peasant  furniture  of 
Continental  Europe  and  the  Cottage  furniture  of  Eng- 
land. Naturally,  those -who  follow  the  style  of  the 
Vienna  Secession  also  use  the  furniture  accompanying 
it.  Particular  attention  is  also  rightly  paid  to  arrange- 
ment— in  theory  if  not  always  in  practice — and  over- 
crowding is  sedulously  avoided. 

Not  only  are  old  English  cottages  of  the  greatest 
charm  (Plate  95  A),  but  the  British  architects  and 
decorators  of  to-day  and  some  of  our  best  American 
men  have  so  wonderfully  absorbed  and  carried  on  the 
traditions  of  probably  the  most  homelike  civilisation 
the  world  has  known,  that  illustrations  of  their  work 
are  given  (Plates  78  B  and  93).  Colour  is  not  with 
them  carried  to  the  extent  that  it  is  with  these  "mod- 
ern" decorators,  but  each  of  these  interiors  is  so  well 
balanced  and  so  simple  that  all  of  them  would  be  sus- 
ceptible of  treatment  in  strong  tones  if  desired. 

It  should  be  pointed  out  that  much  of  the  pictur- 


PLATE  95 


^.  AN  OLD  COTTAGE  AT  WESTON-PATRICK,  HAMPSHIRE 

From  "Old  English  Country  Cottages"  by  Courtesy  of  "The  Studio" 

The  Admirable  Idea  of  a  Movable  Curtain  on  Semi-Circular  Rod  and  the  Good  Forms  of 

Furniture  are  to  be  Noted 


B.  A  TYPE  OF  PAINTED  FURNITURE  WELL  ADAPTED  TO  THE  "NEWER' 

DECORATION 


FURNITURE  AND  ITS  CHOOSING  311 

esque  charm  of  these  rooms  is  constructional  and  due  to 
the  architectural  proportions  and  features,  and,  in 
some  cases,  to  built-in  furniture,  so  that  the  illustra- 
tions serve  as  models  in  these  respects  as  well. 

Naturally  great  insistence  is  laid  by  the  newer  school 
upon  the  colour  values  of  furniture  used,  and  to  accord 
with  the  decorative  scheme  adopted  it  may  be  finished 
in  the  natural  colour  of  the  wood,  stained  to  any  hue 
and  dully  finished,  or  painted,  or  decorated. 

Decoration  may  be  quaint  in  character  to  accord 
with  old-time  effects,  or  may  be  most  modern  and  bril- 
liant. When  painted,  furniture  may  be  in  subdued 
tones,  but  is  often  violent,  such  as  bright  blue  or  em- 
erald green  chairs  with  rush  seats  in  bright  yellow. 
Good  tones  are  ivories,  greys  and  tans,  grey-blue  and 
grey-mauve,  yellow,  rose,  apple-green  and  black,  the 
latter  often  highly  polished  (Plate  95  B). 

Such  furniture  is  frequently  ornamented  with  lines 
in  a  harmonising  or  strongly  contrasting  colour.  Black 
is  excellent  with  any  of  the  mentioned  tones.  The  fur- 
niture previously  mentioned  as  sold  direct  to  the  con- 
sumers is  excellent  for  this  style  of  decoration.  Messrs. 
A.  L.  Diament  &  Co.,  of  Philadelphia,  who  are  the 
American  agents  for  the  attractive  modern  French 
Desfosse  and  Karth  printed  linens  and  cretonnes,  are 
now  supplying  furniture  painted  to  accord  in  colour 
and  design  with  their  fabrics. 

Mission  furniture,  so  uninviting  in  its  usual  colour- 
ing, takes  on  new  life  and  decorative  value  when 
painted  in  attractive  colour. 

Wicker  furniture  is  of  special  use  in  the  new  dec- 
oration. It  may  either  be  painted  or  left  in  its  natural 
tone,  and  be  supplied  with  strongly  decorative  cush- 
ions in  solid  colour,  stripes  or  modern  patterns. 

Wing  chairs  are  homelike  and  afford  great  comfort. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

DECORATIVE  TEXTILES 

THE  SOURCE  OF  COLOUR  AND  EFFECT.  EXAMPLES  OF  CHOICE. 
FABRICS  FOR  THE  " MODERN"  DECORATION.  WALL  HANG- 
INGS. SCALE.  MOVEMENT.  TEXTURE.  HINTS  ON  PUR- 
CHASING. 

THE  decorative  importance  of  textiles  can 
scarcely  be  overestimated  because  it  is  largely 
by  their  use  that  effect  and  colour  are  gained, 
and  if  the  opportunity  is  missed  here  it  is  often  alto- 
gether missed.  Excellent  furniture  is  much,  but,  after 
all,  seating  furniture  is  but  a  framework  and  if  it  be  im- 
properly or  unattractively  covered  its  value  in  impres- 
sion produced  is  lost;  while  simple  furniture  if  good  in 
line  may  be  greatly  enhanced  in  effect  when  accom- 
panied by  delightful  fabrics.  In  a  word,  if  the  back- 
grounds are  unobtrusive  it  is  largely  by  textiles  that  the 
room  is  made  or  marred.  If  the  effect  has  already  been 
gained  by  such  means  as  decorated  walls  or  by  painted 
or  lacquered  furniture,  equal  discrimination  should  be 
used  properly  to  supplement  these  by  fabrics  which  will 
not  confuse  on  the  one  hand,  or  themselves  sink  into 
mediocrity  on  the  other. 

Effect  consists  in  colour,  contrast,  pattern,  material 
and  texture.  Appropriateness  to  period,  circumstances 
and  use  must  also  be  considered.  A  moment 's  thought 
will  show  that  these  qualities  are  kindly  guides,  and  • 
neither  hampering  nor  bewildering  details.  Instead 
of  having  to  choose  from  the  whole  range  of  fabrics  of 
whatever  sort,  the  task  of  the  decorator  or  home-fur- 
nisher is  greatly  simplified. 

A  concrete  example  will  make  this  clear — the  pur- 
312 


DECORATIVE  TEXTILES  313 

chase  of  fabrics  for  a  certain  room  is  to  be  made.  The 
colour-scheme  has,  of  course,  been  settled  upon.  If 
we  know,  then,  that  we  shall  require  goods  in  blue,  say, 
or  blue  in  combination,  we  evidently  shall  not  need  to 
trouble  ourselves  to  look  at  greens,  or  violets,  or  pinks. 
It  is  a  drawing-room,  let  us  say,  which  we  are  consid- 
ering, and  contains  mahogany  furniture  of  the  late 
Georgian  period — Sheraton  and  Hepplewhite — with 
perhaps  two  or  three  chairs  of  the  cognate  Louis  Seize 
style.  As  such  furniture  is  of  handsome  type  we  may 
naturally  dismiss  denims,  poplins  and  other  such  ordi- 
nary materials.  We  might  choose  printed  linen  or  cre- 
tonne, but  it  would  be  much  better  to  employ  damask, 
brocade,  or  some  such  goods  and  do  as  the  British  do — 
use  figured  chintz  covers  for  summer  and  informal 
occasions. 

Common-sense,  as  well  as  any  knowledge  of  the 
period,  will  tell  us  that  for  furniture  of  this  refined  type 
we  should  not  use  the  dark,  large-patterned  and 
heavily-textured  goods  of  the  Eenaissance,  made  to  ac- 
company weighty  and  imposing  pieces  of  oak  and  wal- 
nut; nevertheless,  the  simplicity  of  the  walls  advises  us 
that  it  is  in  the  fabrics  we  must  gain  our  decorative 
effect  and  that  we  shall  need  colour  or  pattern  or  both. 
Now  what  were  the  fabrics  used  at  that  time  ?  Refer- 
ence to  Part  I,  eighteenth  century  England,  shows  us 
that  the  textiles  used  for  such  refined  furniture  were 
brocades,  damasks  and  silks,  and  that  toward  the  latter 
part  of  the  century  the  colours  became  quieter  and  more 
subtle  in  tone  than  in  the  previous  more  vigorous  age 
and  that  when  they  were  fairly  strong  they  were  so 
disposed  in  quantity  that  their  emphasis  was  appre- 
ciably modified.  The  patterns  were  as  refined  as  the 
furniture,  and  as  appropriate  in  scale,  and  stripes  had 
great  vogue. 


314  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

At  the  decorator 's  shop  we  state  our  needs  and  find 
some  admirable  things.  There  are  two  or  three  charm- 
ing medallion  patterns  and  some  small  conventional 
designs  of  Adam  and  Directoire  character.  These  are 
in  the  solid  colours  of  beautiful  old  blues,  the  pattern 
being  in  the  weave. 

We  remember  the  Louis  Seize  pieces  and,  with  in- 
ternational tendencies  in  mind,  look  at  a  beautiful 
modern  reproduction  of  a  brocade  of  that  period  with 
a  flower-basket  design  surrounded  by  other  florals— 
this  being  in  many  colours. 

And  we  do  not  forget  the  stripes  which  were  so 
greatly  in  vogue  in  both  England  and  France.  There 
is  a  striped  and  figured  damask  in  blue  and  buff  and 
others  in  blue  and  old  gold,  both  simple  alternate 
stripes  of  plain  and  satin  finish  and  wide  and  narrow 
ones  of  satin  with  watered  ground.  We  see,  too,  one  in 
the  same  colouring  with  the  addition  of  white  and  rose 
in  narrow  lines.  We  especially  appreciate  the  intro- 
duction of  the  other  harmonious  colours  with  the  blue. 

Being  well  known  to  the  decorator  he  sends  up  to 
the  house  the  large  two-yard  samples  of  the  several 
styles  we  prefer,  where  we  try  their  effect  in  the  actual 
conditions  under  which  the  fabrics  are  to  be  used  and 
there  make  our  choice. 

In  choosing  fabrics  it  is  not  obligatory  to  limit  our- 
selves slavishly  to  the  designs  and  materials  of  the 
particular  period,  provided  there  is  no  incongruity. 
Sometimes  textiles  which  appeared  rather  later  will 
answer  admirably,  and  there  are  good  modern  designs 
appropriate  for  many  such  uses.  If  Period  furnishing 
is  to  live  it  should  be  allowed  elbow-room.  A  good  test 
of  appropriateness  is  to  ask  ourselves  whether  such 
and  such  a  fabric  would  likely  have  been  employed  for 


A.  WILLIAM  AND  MARY  ROOM  PANELLED  IN  OAK 

Settee  Covered  with  Brocade  with  Scalloped  Velvet  and  Lace  Hanging  on  Back.     Pillows  Covered 

with  Petit  Point  Needlework.    Lacquer  Cabinet 

Courtesy  of  Mrs.  Lyman  Kendall 


B.  BAD  SCALE  IX  THE  TEXTILES  USED  IN  AN  OTHERWISE  ATTRACTIVE  ROOM 
The  Chair-covering  is  Totally  Out  of  Scale  with  the  Rug 


PLATE  97 


A.  ARMCHAIR    COVERED    WITH    PETIT 

POINT  NEEDLEWORK,  TAPESTRY 

CURTAIN 


B.  CHIPPENDALE  LONG   STOOL   COVERED  WITH  GROS    POINT 

NEEDLEWORK 
Courtesy  of  Mrs.  Herman  Duryea 


PLATE  99 


DECORATIVE  TEXTILES  315 

the  particular  purpose  had  it  existed  in  the  repertoire 
of  the  period. 

The  choice  of  materials  for  any  epoch  is  usually, 
however,  a  wide  one,  for  our  forebears  in  most  ages 
were  not  given  to  penuriousness,  and  were  as  lavish  as 
means  allowed  in  variety  and  beauty,  both  of  costume 
and  furnishing.  For  the  non-committal  or  the  "Mod- 
ern" method  there  is  an  abundance  from  which  to 
select,  and  the  result  is  by  no  means  dependent  upon 
the  cost.  Some  fabrics,  by  their  very  nature,  are  less 
expensive  to  manufacture  than  others  and  each  sort 
may  be  thoroughly  good  of  its  kind.  Sincerity  should 
always  be  apparent  in  household  decoration,  and  by 
sincerity*  is  meant  the  avoidance  of  cheap  display  and 
of  vulgar  and  tawdry  imitations  of  expensive  materials. 

Reference  to  Part  I  will  afford  information  as  to 
the  various  fabrics  employed  during  each  of  the 
periods,  and  the  Chapter  on  Colour  (especially  the  sec- 
tion on  Unity  and  Variety)  will  give  many  suggestions 
as  to  their  use.  Curtains  and  portieres  have  been  dis- 
cussed in  the  chapter  on  Windows  and  Their  Treat- 
ment, and  the  last  section  of  the  present  chapter  will 
afford  hints  for  the  advantageous  purchase  of  goods. 
Textiles  themselves,  of  all  kinds,  are  for  the  first  time 
fully  treated  in  Mr.  Hunter's  interesting  volume,  which 
should  be  consulted  by  all  concerned  with  household 
art.* 

FABEICS  FOB  " MODERN"   DECORATION 

While  the  "new"  decoration  is  not  absolutely  con- 
fined to  the  simpler  materials,  its  tendencies  are  in  that 
direction  and  the  fabrics  chosen  are  usually  therefore 
such  as  linens,  casement-cloth,  sunfast,  denims,  pop- 
lins and  taffetas,  rather  than  rich  damask,  brocades  and 

*  Decorative  Textiles,  by  George  Leland  Hunter.  580  plates  in 
colour  and  in  halftone.  J.  B.  Lippincott  Company,  1918. 


316  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

velvet.  The  main  idea  is  to  get  the  effect  desired, 
whatever  the  material.  Velour  is,  of  course,  often  used 
for  couch-covers,  and  special  decorations  such  as  Ori- 
ental hangings,  table-pieces,  couch  pillows,  and  the 
like,  may  be  striking  and  handsome.  Batik  is  largely 
employed,  and  any  hand  embroidery  in  strong  pattern 
is  very  appropriate. 

In  any  style  of  decoration  table  strips  are  usually 
better  than  table  covers.  For  circular  or  oval  tables  a 
good  plan  is  to  cut  the  table-cover  respectively  square 
or  rectangular  and  ornament  the  overhanging  corners 
with  a  heavy  tassel. 

For  upholstery  purposes  solid  colours,  stripes  and 
striking  designs  are  all  effectively  used.  If  there  is 
a  sufficiency  of  plain  surface  to  balance  them,  either 
of  the  latter  two  may  be  employed.  In  a  large  room 
the  usual  chairs  may  be  covered  with  a  solid  colour  or 
not  too  insistent  stripe,  and  large  wing  or  wicker  chairs 
be  done  in  a  strong  design. 

In  any  room  and  with  any  style  of  decoration  cut- 
ting up  with  too  much  pattern  should  be  avoided. 

WALL   HANGINGS 

To  anyone  looking  through  the  illustrations  of  this 
volume  the  decorative  value  of  wall-hangings  must  be 
apparent.  Tapestries  and  rich  brocades,  needlework 
and  embroidered  silks  and  velvets,  Oriental  and  Batik 
hangings — all  are  of  the  greatest  use  under  appro- 
priate conditions.  Hangings  were  employed  in  all 
periods  down  to  the  revival  of  Classicism  in  the  latter 
half  of  the  eighteenth  century.  In  England,  where  pan- 
elling was  the  accepted  wall  treatment,  they  were  hung 
over  the  panels  as  in  Plate  80  B. 

Those  are  indeed  fortunate  who  can  afford  the  pur- 
chase of  antique  tapestries  and  embroideries,  but  many 


DECORATIVE  TEXTILES  317 

of  the  former  have  been  really  well  reproduced.  In  the 
use  of  either  originals  or  reproductions  care  should,  of 
course,  be  taken  to  have  them  appropriate  in  period, 
colour  and  scale.  Reproductions  which  are  evidently 
" cheap"  should  be  avoided. 

Handsome  brocades  in  modern  weaves  and  period 
character  are  always  available  at  a  not  too  prohibitive 
price,  and  frequently  these  may  be  given  a  border  of 
tapestry  or  velvet  for  enrichment  or  contrast. 

A  hanging  over  a  console  or  table  with  a  mirror 
hung  upon  it  makes  an  interesting  grouping,  as  is  shown 
in  Plate  80  A,  while  in  Plate  99  will  be  seen  a  fine  Ital- 
ian mirror  disposed  in  a  similar  manner. 

Oriental  hangings  might  be  more  largely  employed 
than  they  are.  Japanese  draperies  usually  are  of  free 
and  flowing  design  and  would  be  appropriate  with  the 
"Modern"  method.  The  Chinese  are  more  conven- 
tional and  controlled  in  pattern  and  so  are  much  better 
for  most  purposes.  Persian,  East  Indian  and  Javanese 
textiles  and  embroideries  and  Portuguese  prints  are 
often  very  beautiful  but  are  not  largely  in  the  market. 
One  of  the  writers  owns  a  small  but  effective  Egyptian 
applique,  brought  from  Cairo,  which  invariably  com- 
mands the  attention  of  visitors. 

Those  who  are  always  observant  and  on  the  watch 
for  good  and  unusual  things  are  pretty  sure  soon  or 
late  to  be  rewarded.  It  is  probably  the  lack  of  such  in- 
dividuality and  observation  that  has  been  responsible 
for  the  bringing  home  of  merely  conventional  things 
— which  might  easily  have  been  purchased  in  any  large 
American  city — on  the  part  of  those  who  have  exten- 
sively travelled.  Apart  from  richer  examples,  Peasant 
draperies  might  often  have  been  obtained  which  would 
have  given  life  and  interest  to  halls  and  bedrooms  or 
to  living-  or  sitting-rooms  in  "Modern"  or  informal 
vein. 


318  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

SCALE 

Once  again  reference  must  be  made  to  the  subject 
of  scale,  for  nowhere  is  it  more  important  than  in  dec- 
orative fabrics.  The  design  or  stripe  chosen  must  not 
only  be  of  appropriate  character  but  in  due  relation  as 
to  size  with  the  furniture,  other  surfaces  and  objects, 
and  the  room  itself.  While,  as  has  been  said,  the 
master  designers  of  the  Renaissance  and  other  periods 
proved  to  us  the  possibility  .of  ornamenting  every  sur- 
face without  producing  confusion,  in  all  but  very  elab- 
orate modern  decoration  we  shall  not  have  such  prob- 
lems to  deal  with  and  the  ornamented  surfaces  will 
likely  be  few.  By  trying  draperies  in  actual  position, 
as  suggested  in  a  following  section,  it  will  not  be  found 
difficult  to  decide  upon  a  satisfying  result  in  respect  of 
scale.  It  need  only  be  observed  that  contrast  and  tex- 
ture have  much  effect — a  large  pattern  may  be  per- 
missible or  advisable  when  blended  with  the  back- 
ground, whereas  it  would  be  intolerable  if  it  stood 
boldly  apart  from  it. 

Frequently  the  purchase  of  new  upholstery  may  be 
made  to  solve  already  existing  difficulties.  Such  an 
instance  would  be  where  the  design  of  a  wall-hanging 
were  felt  to  overpower  a  small  and  neat-patterned  rug 
or  carpet ;  the  introduction  of  an  upholstery  design  of 
medium  size  and  strength  might  be  found  to  unite  them 
into  a  satisfying  combination. 

An  example  of  bad  scale  is  shown  in  Plate  96  B. 

MOVEMENT 

Design  may  be  balanced  and  static  or  it  may  have 
movement;  i.e.,  its  lines  of  construction  may  be  so 
strong  in  a  certain  direction  that  the  vision  is  pulled 
along  their  course.  If  the  repose  of  a  room  is  so  great 
as  to  be  somnolent  it  is  plain  that  such  movement  will 


DECORATIVE  TEXTILES  319 

give  life  and  vigour:  if  the  room  is  unduly  low  and 
heavy  an  upward  spring  of  design  will  impart  height 
and  lightness ;  while  a  strongly  mounting  movement  in 
the  covering  of  a  high-backed  chair  would  as  unduly 
accentuate  its  apparent  height. 

The  same  principle,  of  course,  applies  horizontally, 
and  lateral  movement  is  therefore  often  of  use  in  dis- 
proportionately lofty  interiors  where  it  tends  appar- 
ently to  reduce  height. 

Designs  consisting  of  well-balanced,  flowing  curves 
do  not  lead  the  vision  from  point  to  point  with  rapid- 
ity: they  therefore  create  interest  without  unrest. 

Those  which  pull  the  eye  diagonally,  and  hence  at 
variance  with  the  perpendiculars  and  horizontals  of 
the  room,  are  distracting;  while  zigzag  lines  can  only 
be  maddening.  On  the  floor  of  an  old  Virginia  man- 
sion the  writers  recall  a  rug  with  such  lines  which  all 
the  well-known  repose  of  the  Colonial  interior  was  in- 
sufficient to  subdue. 

TEXTURE 

Texture  is  the  arrangement  or  disposition  of  the 
material  composing  a  substance  and  results  in  that 
substance  having  such  qualities  as  heaviness  and  light- 
ness, smoothness  or  roughness,  fineness  or  coarseness, 
opacity  or  transparence,  stiffness  or  flexibility.  The 
subject  is  one  of  great  interest  to  the  decorator  and  as 
regards  textiles  is  fully  gone  into  in  Mr.  Hunter's 
book :  here  a  few  hints  of  practical  application  will  be 
sufficient. 

Warning  is  usually  and  rightly  given  against  the 
employment  in  close  proximity  of  substances  which  war 
in  their  texture,  and  this  must  always  be  considered 
not  only  in  respect  to  textiles  but  in  the  whole  field  of 
decoration — a  rough-cast  wall,  for  instance,  would  make 
a  poor  background  for  delicate  satinwood  furniture  and 


320  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

airy  draperies  scarcely  accompany  pieces  of  Jacobean 
oak.  It  will,  however,  render  clearer  to  the  reader  the 
importance  of,  and  the  reason  for,  this  avoidance  if  we 
lay  emphasis  upon  the  handsomeness  or  unhandsome- 
ness  of  such  substances  resulting  either  alone  or  eom- 
binedly  from  material  and  texture.  Crash  is  rough  and 
so  is  cut-velvet,  but  it  is  the  commonness  of  the  one 
which  unfits  it  for  the  use  of  the  other  rather  than  the 
roughness.  A  considerable  diversity  of  texture  is  not 
only  allowable,  and  really  necessary  by  reason  of  the 
uses  of  various  furnishings,  but  advisable  for  the 
avoidance  of  monotony:  rugs  are  usually  of  heavy 
wool ;  with  them  silk  damask  furniture  coverings  may 
be  employed;  while  the  Chinese  lamp  may  be  of  the 
finest  porcelain ;  and  yet  we  do  not  feel  a  discrepancy 
at  their  use  in  one  room,  though  each,  is  different  both 
in  material  and  texture,  providing  all  be  similarly 
handsome.  But — if  we  put  down  an  evidently  cheap  cot- 
ton rug,  or  a  wollen  one  so  rugged  as  to  put  it  in  a 
lower  degree  of  elegance,  we  immediately  feel  the  in- 
appropriateness.  The  unhandsomeness  of  the  one  is 
caused  by  inferiority  of  material  and  that  of  the  other 
by  great  divergence  of  texture. 

A  practical  effect  of  decided  texture  is  the  appear- 
ance it  gives  of  weight — a  smooth,  unpatterned  silk 
stretched  over  a  large  sofa  might  look  thin  and 
flimsy,  whereas  a  brocade  of  really  no  greater  heavi- 
ness might  give  a  perfectly  satisfactory  appearance  of 
weight  and  richness. 

Local  colour  is  greatly  modified  by  texture :  the  col- 
our-effect of  a  strongly  textured  piece  of  goods  viewed 
at  the  usual  distance  may  be  quite  different  from  what 
a  close  inspection  shows  the  actual  colour  to  be.  This 
is  due  to  refraction  of  light,  and  various  angles  often 
give  different  colour-effects. 


DECORATIVE  TEXTILES  321 

HINTS  ON  PURCHASING 

A  covering  being  needed  for  a  new'  screen  and  it 
naturally  being  of  importance  in  the  decoration  of  the 
room  the  man  of  the  house  stopped  in  the  decorator's 
shop  at  which  he  dealt  and  out  of  a  large  stock  selected 
ten  or  a  dozen  of  the  two-yard  samples  and  had  them 
sent  home.  When  he  arrived  in  the  late  afternoon  his 
wife  had  already  tried  them  on  the  screen  and  said: 
'  *  They  are  all  beautiful,  but  there  is  just  one  of  them  for 
this  screen  and  for  this  room.  See  if  you  agree  with 
me."  He,  too,  tried  them  and  unhesitatingly  picked 
out  the  same  one. 

This  small  experience  illustrates  several  points 
well  worth  notice. 

I.  Each  room  has  its  own  lighting,  colouring,  and 
individuality,  and  to  select  just  the  right  thing  for  that 
room  under  other  conditions  is  well  nigh  impossible. 
Goods  should  practically  be  bought  in  loco;  i.e.,  the  ac- 
tual selection  should  be  made  on  the  spot  where  they 
are  required. 

II.  Apart  from  any  other  consideration  it  is  always 
well  to  experiment.     In  the  case  mentioned  the  pat- 
tern was  not  one  which  either  the  man  or  his  wife  would 
have  bought  at  the  shop:  it  needed  the  situation  and 
the  isolation  for  its  beauty  to  be  appreciated. 

III.  The  goods  selected  were  not  the  most  expen- 
sive: Some  other  pieces  were  nearly  double  in  price 
but  did  not  look  nearly  so  well  for  the  particular  pur- 
pose and  place. 

IV.  If  one  deals  at  a  decorator's  he  will  usually 
find  interest  and  appreciation  of  the  effort  to  secure 
a  good  effect.     He  will  also  find  willingness  to  send 
such  samples  when  the  purchaser  is  a  regular  cus- 
tomer or  well  recommended.     One  meets  with  intel- 

21 


322  .  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

ligence  and  courtesy  and  secures  goods  that  are  not  in 
all  the  department-stores. 

V.  It  may  have  been  noted  that  it  was  the  man  who 
made  the  first  general  selection:  does  it  often  occur, 
outside  of  artistic  circles,  that  a  man  takes  the  interest 
he  should  in  the  beauty  of  his  house?  Yet,  if  he  has 
taste  and  knowledge,  why  not?  And  if  these  are  lack- 
ing it  would  be  well  for  him  to  realise  that  these  are 
part  of  the  equipment  of  a  gentleman  and  should  be 
cultivated.  The  Honourable  Andrew  Hamilton,  one  of 
the  most  celebrated  jurists  of  the  Colonial  period,  de- 
signed the  State  House  in  Philadelphia ;  Thomas  Jef- 
ferson designed,  built  and  furnished  Monticello;  and 
George  "Washington  twice  enlarged  Mount  Vernon  and 
ordered  his  furniture. 

The  successful  decorator  or  home-furnisher  is  one 
who  is  at  all  times  observing  and  who  studies  and 
makes  mental  notes  of  attractive  things  he  sees  that 
may  appeal  to  him  as  applicable  for  future  use.  The 
study  of  authoritative  books  is  of  great  use  and  such 
magazines  as  House  and  Garden,  The  House  Beautiful, 
Good  Furniture  and  Country  Life  are  full  of  good 
things.  Other  journals,  such  as  Town  and  Country, 
Vogue,  The  Spur  and  Vanity  Fair,  frequently  picture 
interiors  of  historic  houses  here  and  abroad  and  mod- 
ern dwellings  and  club-houses.  The  decorative  articles 
which  appear  in  daily  and  Sunday  papers  and  some 
journals  should  be  considered  with  discrimination  be- 
fore being  followed — some  are  written  by  competent 
authorities,  and  others  by  those  who  in  this  particular 
direction  seem  to  know  less  than  their  readers  and  who, 
in  their  probably  well-meaning  attempt  to  introduce 
the  newcomer,  through  their  own  ignorance  clumsily 
block  the  gate  of  the  bazaar. 


DECORATIVE  TEXTILES  323 

The  decorators'  shops  in  large  cities  afford  many 
a  hint  as  to  materials,  furniture,  schemes  of  colour  and 
decorative  possibilities;  and  one  great  storehouse  of 
knowledge — the  Museum — should  be  much  more  util- 
ised than  it  is. 

In  trying  effects  in  the  home  the  conditions  should 
be  those  which  usually  obtain — do  not,  for  example, 
throw  the  shades  up  to  the  top  of  the  windows.  As 
night  effects  are  quite  as  important  as  those  of  day- 
time, goods  should  also  be  tried  under  artificial  light : 
quite  extraordinary  variations  are  often  found,  not 
only  because  of  the  differing  qualities  of  the  lights 
themselves;  but  because  they  are  from  different  direc- 
tions and  differently  concentrated. 

Such  precautions  may  seem  to  entail  some  trouble, 
but  they  will  often  save  one  from  the  alternative  of 
dwelling  with  nightmares  or  doing  over  what  might 
rightly  have  been  done  at  first.  We  should  also  con- 
sider the  pleasure  and  positive  mental  and  physical 
benefit  of  feeling  each  time  the  home  is  entered  that, 
though  perhaps  very  simple,  it  speaks  of  beauty  and 
of  rest.  Neither  should  we  forget  our  social  relations : 
rooms  with  high,  glaring  lights,  bad  forms  and  faulty 
harmonies  are  impossible  for  companionship,  while 
others  are  immediately  suggestive  of  fellowship  and 
cheer.  A  rather  elderly  woman  in  humble  circum- 
stances (I  reverently  lift  my  hat  and  call  her  lady) 
said  to  the  occupant  of  an  attractive  apartment :  "Some 
things  have  happened,  and  I  felt  very  sad  when  I  got 
up,  and  then  I  remembered  that  I  was  to  come  down 
and  clean  for  you  to-day,  and  it's  all  so  beautiful,  and 
peaceful,  and  quiet  here  that  it 's  helped  me  to  forget. ' ' 
Few  would  soon  forget  those  words  so  simple  and 
sincere. 


PRINCIPLES  AND  METHODS.  CANDLESTICKS  AND  CANDLES. 
LAMPS.  CANDELABRA,  TORCHERES  AND  STANDARD  LIGHTS. 
SHADES. 

A~  TIFICIAL  lighting  is  an  exceedingly  important 
subject,  and  yet,  in  many  households,  it  seems 
to  be  ignored  in  inverse  ratio  to  its  importance, 
of  course  with  deplorable  consequences. 

The  whole  subject  falls  naturally  into  two  divi- 
sions: (1)  fixed  lighting,  whose  arrangement  consti- 
stutes  a  part  of  the  fixed  decorations  and  is  architec- 
tural rather  than  otherwise  in  its  affinities;  and  (2) 
portable  lighting,  which  belongs  wholly  in  the  realm 
of  furnishing.  The  former,  as  its  nature  implies,  is 
largely  determined  by  the  architectural  character  of 
the  background,  first  as  regards  pattern,  material  and 
scale  of  the  equipment,  and  second,  as  regards  the 
placement  of  lighting  appliances.  The  latter  admits 
of  almost  unlimited  latitude  in  placement,  in  the  selec- 
tion of  divers  types  of  appliance  and  in  the  choice  of 
illuminating  medium. 

Whether  the  lights  be  fixed  or  portable,  certain 
general  principles  obtain,  almost  without  exception, 
and  these  principles  must  be  carefully  observed.  To 
begin  with,  under  ordinary  circumstances  a  blazing 
glare  is  painful  to  the  eyes  as  well  as  ugly  and  dis- 
astrous to  the  aspect  of  any  room,  even  though  it  be 
well  furnished.  A  number  of  dim  or  subdued  lights, 
therefore,  are  infinitely  preferable  to  one  or  two  pow- 
erful, glaring  lights.  The  diffused  glow  from  the  more 

324 


ARTIFICIAL  LIGHTING  326 

numerous  and  mellower  lights  is  vastly  more  comfort- 
able to  the  eye  and  more  kindly  to  the  furnishings.  In 
the  next  place,  it  is  both  unreasonable  and  uncomfort- 
able either  to  have  one  or  two  blazing  illuminations  in 
proximity  to  the  ceiling  or  to  have  a  number  of  less 
vigorous  luminaries  lighting  the  upper  part  of  the  room 
and  leaving  the  lower  in  gloom.  Likewise,  the  various 
methods  of  indirect  lighting,  although  purposely  de- 
vised to  eliminate  glare  and  secure  diffusion,  which 
they  often  do  admirably,  nevertheless  throw  most  of 
the  light  on  the  ceiling.  This  does  very  well  for  public 
places,  but  is  usually  objectionable  and  ugly  in  a  house. 
It  is  not  necessary,  nor  in  many  cases  would  it  be  desir- 
able, to  have  the  artificial  light  fall  from  precisely  the 
same  quarter  as  the  light  by  day,  but  it  is  highly  desir- 
able and  eminently  logical  to  have  the  light  at  night 
coming  from  approximately  the  same  level  as  the  day- 
light and  to  illuminate,  not  the  ceiling,  but  the  region 
of  the  room  humanly  inhabited. 

With  the  foregoing  dicta  the  illuminating  experts 
and  fautors  of  sundry  approved  modern  and  ultra- 
scientific  lighting  systems,  aye,  and  various  doctors  to 
boot,  will  probably  take  serious  issue  and  promptly 
adduce  fifty-seven  different  reasons  to  prove  that  they 
are  right  and  we  are  wrong.  To  their  accusations  we 
cheerfully  answer  that  their  ' '  systems,  * '  their  inverted 
appliances  and  their  fiercely  illuminated  ceilings  blaz- 
ing above  a  substratum  of  milder  effulgence  may  be  all 
very  well  for  offices,  shops,  auditoria  and  railway  sta- 
tions— doubtless  they  are — but  we  humbly  submit  that 
our  homes  are  none  of  these  nor  can  we,  for  the  life  of 
us,  see  why  we  should  seek  to  introduce  the  atmosphere 
of  those  places  into  our  domestic  circle. 

In  the  third  place,  the  quality  and  intensity  of  the 
artificial  light  must  also  be  taken  into  account.  It 


326  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

should  not  be  harsh  nor  sharp  in  effect  nor  of  such 
intensity  as  to  distort  the  relative  values  of  illumina- 
tion and  shadow.  Above  all,  the  colour  of  the  rays 
must  not  be  of  a  character  to  falsify  or  kill  the  colours 
in  the  furnishing.  Mellowness  is  the  chiefest  desider- 
atum in  domestic  lighting,  save  in  such  exceptional 
cases  as  ball-rooms  or  salons  upon  occasion  of  large 
and  somewhat  formal  gatherings,  when  brilliancy  is  not 
only  quite  permissible  but  often  distinctly  desirable. 

The  illuminants  to  be  considered  upon  grounds  of 
decorative  desirability  or  expedience  are  candles,  oil, 
gas  and  electricity.  Of  these,  the  first  most  completely 
fill  all  the  ideals  of  quality  just  mentioned.  There  is 
no  light  so  restful  and  agreeable  in  quality  to  the  eye 
as  candle  light  and  no  light  is  kindlier  to  the  appear- 
ance of  a  room.  The  radiance  is  mild  and  diffused, 
shadows  are  not  cut  sharp  and  exaggerated,  and  the 
colours  in  furniture  and  decorations  are  not  outraged. 
Incidentally,  it  may  not  be  amiss  to  note  that  ladies 
are  well  aware  that  they  appear  to  greater  advantage  in 
the  glow  of  candles  than  by  any  other  light. 

Candles  as  a  means  of  lighting  are  perfectly  prac- 
ticable. The  only  possible  objections  that  can  be  urged 
against  them  with  any  show  of  validity  are  cost  and 
bother.  Neither  obstacle  is  very  serious;  the  former 
can  be  ingeniously  circumvented,  if  necessary;  the 
small  amount  of  the  latter  is  not  worth  considering  if 
one  values  the  agreeable  effect  of  their  rooms.  Wax 
candles,  of  course,  are  desirable,  but  stearic  acid 
candles  and  other  substitutes  for  wax  are  thoroughly 
satisfactory  for  general  use. 

It  is  well  to  have  a  good  broad  glass  bobecJie  for 
each  candle  socket.  Any  drippings  can  then  be  easily 
removed  without  dirt  or  trouble.  As  a  rule,  the  use  of 
shades  on  candles  is  finically  effeminate,  foolish,  fussy, 


ARTIFICIAL  LIGHTING  327 

reprehensible  and  anomalous.  A  candle  is,  in  itself,  an 
object  of  grace  and  beauty,  but  its  chaste  and  dignified 
simplicity  of  line  is  marred  and  hidden  when  its  shaft 
is  surmounted  with  a  top-heavy,  frilly  contrivance  re- 
sembling an  abbreviated  ballet  skirt.  Upon  the  making 
of  such  shades  entirely  too  much  valuable  energy  is 
wasted.  The  flame  of  the  candle,  too,  is  an  essential 
part  of  its  beauty  and  ought  not  to  be  concealed.  Its 
gleams  are  not  distressing  to  the  eye  if  the  candle  is 
of  proper  height  and  properly  placed.  For  the  dinner 
table  use  tall  candles,  tall  enough  to  keep  the  flame 
above  the  level  of  the  eye.  For  the  library,  living-room 
or  drawing-room,  sconces  will  be  at  a  sufficient  height 
and  portable  candles  may  be  so  disposed  on  mantels, 
the  tops  of  bookshelves,  tables  or  cabinets  that  the 
flames  are  comfortably  above  eye  level.  Using  no 
shades  and  keeping  the  flame  a  little  above  eye  level 
is  one  of  the  secrets  of  successful  candle  use. 

It  is  wTell  both  to  group  candles  at  certain  points 
and  also  to  use  them  singly  or  in  pairs  symmetrically 
placed.  The  objections  to  candle  lighting  usually  come 
either  from  those  that  have  never  really  been  used  to 
them  and  do  not  know  how  they  should  be  used  or  else 
from  those  wrhose  ridiculous  and  savage  obsession  for 
a  multiplicity  of  blazing  lights  prompts  them  to  jeer  at 
candles  as  antiquated  or  obsolete.  To  the  latter  charge 
one  may  reply  that  good  taste,  like  good  manners,  is  not 
a  thing  of  the  moment  or  of  caprice.  Like  good  man- 
ners, it  has  a  permanent,  enduring  quality,  unaffected 
at  bottom  by  minor  ephemeral  variations  of  fashion. 
And  good  taste  recognises  no  temporal  disability.  If 
a  thing  is  good,  as  the  sound  decorative  principles  on 
which  candle  lighting  is  based  shew  it  to  be,  it  is  per- 
ennially in  order. 

Next  in  place  comes  oil.    The  light  is  agreeable  to 


328  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

the  eye  and  satisfactory  in  its  action  upon  decorations 
and  furnishings.  The  degree  of  light  and  its  regula- 
tion depend  entirely  upon  the  kinds  of  lamps  used  and 
the  shades  employed.  It  is  a  sufficient  and  convenient 
illuminant  and  practicable  if  the  lamps  are  intelli- 
gently tended.  For  purely  practical  reasons  small 
lamps  are  generally  undesirable  and  better  results  are 
gained  by  using  medium-sized  or  large  lamps. 

Gas,  unless  shaded  and  tempered  in  varying  de- 
grees, is  trying  to  the  eye,  the  shafts  of  light  are  sharp 
and  harsh  in  effect  and  colours  suffer  under  the  rays. 
When  burned  through  chemically  prepared  filaments  or 
other  intensifying  devices,  the  greenish  or  intense 
white  quality  of  the  light  is  especially  disagreeable  to 
the  eye,  disastrous  to  colour  and  produces  a  ghastly 
effect.  Heat  and  a  certain  amount  of  smoke  are  also 
objectionable  features.  If  gas  is  used,  discreet  shad- 
ing is  absolutely  necessary.  Its  cardinal  recommenda- 
tions are  convenience  and  cheapness.  Diminutive,  dim 
flames  rising  from  porcelain  sham-candle  burners  are 
absolutely  indefensible  on  the  score  of  either  utility  or 
decorative  fitness. 

Electricity  is  convenient  and  clean  and  its  brilliance 
commends  it  to  them  that  like  floods  of  artificial  light. 
When  used  for  domestic  lighting  it  must  be  judiciously 
shaded;  otherwise,  it  is  even  harder  on  the  eyes  than 
gas  and  casts  sharp,  exaggerated  shadows.  The  use 
of  either  gas  mechanically  or  chemically  intensified,  or 
of  electricity  with  high  voltage  unshaded  bulbs  may 
be  appropriate  and  convenient  in  public  places  and 
commercial  establishments ;  in  domestic  interiors  they 
have  no  proper  place.  Considered  from  the  point  of 
view  of  either  convenience  or  decorative  propriety,  it 
is  indefensible  to  mount  electric  bulbs  atop  of  imita- 
tion candles.  They  are  so  patently  shams  that  they 


ARTIFICIAL  LIGHTING  329 

are  foolisA  and  they  have  just  about  as  much  place  in 
decoratiomas  the  vermiform  appendix  or  wisdom  teeth 
have  in  the  human  anatomy.  Their  presence  is  utterly 
inexcusable  in  view  of  the  many  really  admirable  and 
satisfying  fixtures  that  competent  designers  have  de- 
vised. Electric  bulbs,  whether  globular  or  pear-shaped, 
are  not  objects  of  beauty  and  should  be  screened  from 
view  by  shades  or  by  devices  for  diffusing  the  light  and 
when  they  are  perched  on  sham  candles  the  shade 
should  be  large  enough  and  of  such  shape  as  to  hide 
the  offensive  deception. 

The  architectural  or  fixed  lighting  appliances  may 
be  divided  into  those  (1)  that  depend  from  the  ceiling 
and  those  (2)  that  are  affixed  to  the  walls.  (The  pimples 
and  carbuncles  of  glass  sometimes  set  in  the  ceiling  we 
shall  not  discuss.  They  are  barbarous  and  would  be 
appropriate  only  in  german  interiors.)  The  first  or 
dependent  group  includes  chandeliers,  hanging  lamps, 
hanging  lanthorns  and  drops.  The  second,  or  affixed 
group,  includes  sconces,  wall  lanthorns,  girandoles, 
wall  lamps  and  sundry  sorts  of  brackets.  Impressive 
and  large  chandeliers  are  appropriate  in  large  or 
stately  and  formal  rooms  or  in  lofty  halls,  hanging, 
perhaps,  in  the  open  space  of  the  stair  well  (Plate  100). 
In  small  or  informal  rooms  they  have  no  place  at  all. 
The  smaller  chandeliers  with  only  a  few  lights,  known 
as  "hanging  branches  "  until  the  early  part  of  the  eigh- 
teenth century,  allow  a  greater  latitude  of  use.  As 
designers  of  gas  and  electric  appliances  for  chandeliers 
have  generally  conformed  to  candle  traditions,  the 
principles  applying  to  the  use  of  one  sort  apply  to  the 
others  also.  When  chandeliers  are  used  there  should 
also  be  sufficient  side  lights  at  a  lower  level.  Other- 
wise, unless  it  be  for  a  ball-room  or  some  similar  apart- 
ment, the  centre  of  illumination  is  too  high  to  be 


330 

agreeable.  It  is  only  in  exceptional  cases  that  a  chan- 
delier can  be  used  successfully  as  the  sole  source  of 
illumination,  even  when  candles  are  burned. 

Hanging  lamps  for  halls,  entries,  stair  wells  and 
rooms,  especially  large  rooms,  permit  more  freedom 
of  use  than  chandeliers.  The  same  may  be  said  of 
lanthorns  (Plate  100).  It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  call 
attention  to  the  many  admirable  designs  to  be  found  in 
both  cases.  Drops,  usually  and  preferably  for  electric 
lights  properly  shaded,  are  to  be  recommended  for  use 
above  dressing  stands  (Plate  170). 

Sconces,  girandoles,  wall  lanthorns,  wall  lamps, 
brackets  and  all  other  affixed  lighting  appliances,  every 
one  of  which  may  and  ought  to  have  a  very  real  dec- 
orative as  well  as  utilitarian  function,  should  be  placed 
(1)  where  they  will  be  useful;  (2)  not  too  high  so  that 
the  major  part  of  the  light  goes  to  the  ceiling;  (3)  and, 
if  possible,  in  a  balanced  or  symmetrical  manner. 
Whether  candles,  oil,  gas,  or  electricity  be  the  illumi- 
nant,  equally  good  designs  may  be  used,  wholly  consis- 
tent with  the  character  of  the  architectural  background 
and  the  general  decorative  milieu.  If  electricity  be 
used,  it  is  suggested  that  the  bulbs  be  enclosed  in  some 
of  the  wall  lanthorn  or  lamp  forms  with  ground  glass 
to  diffuse  the  light  or  with  a  rice-paper  shield,  such  as 
they  often  use-in  Japan.  In  this  way  the  unprepossess- 
ing bulb  is  completely  screened.  For  many  admir- 
able historic  designs  of  affixed  light  appliances  the 
reader  is  referred  to  the  numerous  illustrations  in  the 
fore  part  of  the  book,  while  adaptations  and  purely 
modern  designs  of  merit  are  to  be  found  here  and  there 
through  all  parts.  Finally,  let  the  number  of  the  affixed 
lights  as  well  as  their  placing  be  sufficient  to  ensure 
an  agreeably  diffused  illumination. 


PLATE  100 


PLATE  101 


CARVED  WOOD  AND  GILT   SIDE-LIGHT 

WITH  LION-MASQUE  CENTRE 

By  Courtesy  of  Wilson  Eyre,  Esq. 


PLATE   102 


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ARTIFICIAL  LIGHTING  331 

Portable  lighting  appliances  include  candlesticks, 
candelabra,  torcheres,  and  standing  lanthorns  as  well 
as  all  the  numerous  family  of  lamps. 

CANDLESTICKS  AND  CANDLES 

In  addition  to  their  obvious  usefulness  candlesticks 
are  a  strong  decorative  asset.  The  soft  glint  of  metal 
or  the  beauty  of  colour  in  pottery  or  decorated  surface 
which  they  supply  would  be  severely  missed  in  many 
decorative  schemes. 

As  with  lamp  standards  we  may  say  that  those  of 
period  form  are  best  because  they  are  the  best  designed 
(Plate  102).  Those  of  wood,  carved  and  gilded,  are 
excellent,  and  the  simple  turned  ones  either  in  mahog- 
any or  painted  and  decorated  are  attractive  and  rea- 
sonable in  price.  Many  beautiful  candlesticks  have 
also  been  made  during  various  periods  in  pottery,  glass 
and  other  materials,  and  among  these  should  not  be 
overlooked  the  unusual  things  of  Oriental  origin. 

Even  if  but  occasionally  used  candlesticks  should 
not  be  without  their  candles — otherwise  they  are  as 
marred  as  a  watch  without  its  hands.  A  beautiful  thing 
primarily  made  for  use  is  partially  deprived  of  its 
beauty  when  its  function  is  obviously  removed.  Be- 
sides, the  cylinder  of  wax  is  of  itself  a  beautiful  thing. 

Decorative  candles  are  sometimes  useful  and  among 
the  best  are  the  Japanese  ones,  larger  at  the  top  than 
at  the  base,  with  excellent  conventional  flower  design 
in  red  and  dark  blue.  The  square  white  candles  with 
black  lines  fit  well  with  some  decorative  schemes,  and 
those  of  bay  berry  are  particularly  good  with  odd  Jap- 
anese or  other  candlesticks  with  green  as  part  of  their 
colouring. 

Candles  are  also  to  be  had  specially  decorated  in 
accordance  with  period  designs,  but  handsomely  dec- 


332  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

orated  candles  are  so  obviously  intended  not  to  be  burnt 
that  their  use  is  decidedly  questionable. 

Brightly  hued  candles,  such  as  canary  yellow,  are 
not  open  to  this  objection  and  their  use  often  gives  a 
happy  colour  note.  They  are  of  particular  value  in 
''Modern"  decoration  and  they  also  relieve  a  candle- 
stick or  torchere  of  iron  or  other  dull  effect. 

The  present  writers  have  before  now  shown  their 
impatience  of  the  exaltation  of  personal  preferences 
into  decorative  dicta  and  so  far  are  they  from  willing 
to  err  in  this  direction  that  they  frankly  and  perhaps 
amusingly  record  a  considerable  difference  of  opinion 
among  themselves.  One  of  the  authors  has  an  unalter- 
able distaste  to  "things  hanging  down  from  the  ceil- 
ing." He  is  doubtless  generally  right  so  far  as  mod- 
ern decoration  is  concerned,  but  another  feels  that  as 
such  ' '  things ' '  have  depended  in  all  ages  they  are  per- 
missible in  some  cases. 

The  ideal  lighting  for  the  dining-room  is,  of  course, 
side-lights,  with  lighted  candles  upon  the  table,  and  if 
further  strength  of  light  is  required  the  present  writers 
advise  the  helping  out  of  these  with  a  pair  of  torcheres 
set  conveniently  near  upon  the  floor.  This  was  ad- 
vanced as  an  original  suggestion,  but,  alas  for  modern 
originality!  since  it  was  written  we  find  in  selecting 
illustrations  that  precisely  this  arrangement  was  used 
in  the  fifteenth  century  Davanzati  palace  (see  Plate 
15  B). 

There  are,  however,  tasteful  but  practical  people 
who  in  the  hurry  of  a  dark  winter's  breakfast,  for  in- 
stance, will  "bother"  with  neither  torchere  nor  candles 
and  for  these  the  writers  see  no  objection  to  an  unob- 
trusive lighting  arrangement  above  the  table.  A 
"dome,"  of  course,  is  abhorrent,  but  there  are  other 
devices,  such  as  an  electric  drop,  the  bulbs  and  other 


ARTIFICIAL  LIGHTING  333 

"machinery"  being  concealed  at  the  sides  by  an  ap- 
propriate shade  and  beneath  by  shirred  gathered  taf- 
feta centred  at  a  button  or  tassel. 

LAMPS 

Said  the  innocent  small-householder:  "I  have  just 
spent  $60.00  for  a  new  chandelier."  And  when  we 
groaned:  "Why  a  chandelier?"  his  injured  surprise 
was  as  great  as  if  he  had  been  asked,  "Why  a 
breakfast?" 

Yet  why  a  chandelier  in  a  small  house  or  apartment? 
They  have  their  appropriate  places — as  we  have  seen— 
but  it  is  not  here.  Yet  nothing  seems  so  dear  to  the 
heart  of  "the  people."  Happily  it  has  largely  passed 
out  of  use  with  those  of  taste,  except  in  its  proper 
sphere,  but  the  present  affliction  is  scarcely  less  intense 
— the  inverted  dome  reigns  supreme !  Why  should  the 
strongest  light  be  thrown  upon  the  ceiling?  The  por- 
tion of  the  room  to  be  illuminated  is  naturally  that 
which  we  ourselves  occupy :  the  farther  corners  and  the 
upper  and  lower  areas  may  well  go  off  to  halftone  and 
shadow,  thus  giving  relief  and  charm. 

In  general  and  for  the  modern  well-furnished  home, 
it  may  be  said  that  the  only  sources  of  illumination 
worth  considering  are  side  lights,  lamps  and  candles. 
The  first  and  the  last  may  find  only  occasional  employ- 
ment, but  the  use  of  the  lamp  is  constant. 

Except  for  the  slender  standard  lamp  which  has  no 
receptacle  for  oil,  the  same  styles  are  adapted  for  elec- 
tricity, oil  or  gas.  The  electric  system  is  the  most 
convenient  and  the  only  objection,  to  it  is  the  necessary 
wire:  this  we  shall  have  to  dispose  of  as  best  we  can. 
Perhaps  some  day  we  shall  have  "wireless"  lamps. 
Here  Mr.  Marconi  might  help  us  out. 


334  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

THE  PURCHASE  OF  THE  LAMP 

Henry  James,  in  his  novel,  "The  Ambassadors" 
gives  us  the  phrase,  "a  deep  suspicion  of  the  vulgar." 
This  suspicion  should  constantly  dwell  with  the  dec- 
orator or  homemaker  in  all  his  work  but  never  more 
so  than  in  the  selection  of  lamps.  The  commercial- 
fixture  man  has  laid  many  traps  for  the  unwary  in  the 
way  of  brass  and  fancy  metals  with  opalescent  shades 
in  disagreeable  variations  of  green  and  yellow:  there 
are  pottery  lamps — as  there  are  jardinieres — in  which 
the  tones  or  blending  of  tones  have  that  quality  of  vul- 
garity so  to  be  discriminated  against ;  and  even  not  all 
the  Chinese  and  Japanese  lamps  of  modern  make  are 
good. 

Apart  from  its  environment  no  decorative  object 
should  for  a  moment  be  considered,  for,  no  matter  how 
intrinsically  beautiful  it  may  be,  if  it  does  not  fit  both 
usefully  and  decoratively  into  the  existing  scheme  of 
things,  its  advent  will  bring  not  beauty  but  discord 
and  discontent. 

There  are,  it  will  be  seen,  a  few  matters  to  con- 
sider before  a  lamp  is  purchased : — For  what  room  is  it 
to  be  used?  Should  the  lamp  be  handsome  or  simple? 
Is  a  strong  light  needed  over  a  large  area  or  is  a  soft- 
ened illumination  desired?  Upon  what  sized  table  is 
it  to  stand  I  What  should  be  the  lamp 's  height  ?  Should 
it  be  slender  or  of  more  rounded  form ?  Of  what  char- 
acter are  the  furnishings  with  which  it  is  to  go?  What 
is  to  be  its  background  or  particular  situation,  and  of 
what  colour  or  combination  of  colours  should  or  might 
it  be?  Should  its  tone  be  light  or  dark?  Do  you  need 
something  striking  or  restrained,  colourful  or  quiet? 

The  lighted  lamp  is  likely  to  be  the  greatest  centre 
of  interest  in  any  room,  and  attracts  attention  even 
when  unillumined.  For  this  reason  the  expenditure  of 
perhaps  fifty  dollars  or  more  for  a  handsome  and 


ARTIFICIAL  LIGHTING  335 

unusual  lamp  would  often  prove  a  better  decorative  in- 
vestment than  the  spending  of  the  same  amount  on  a 
piece  of  furniture.  A  lamp  for  reading  or  sewing 
should  be  of  convenient  height  to  give  proper  illumina- 
tion, while  the  light  itself  should  be  strong  and  unim- 
peded by  fringe.  A  fringe  of  beads,  particularly,  casts 
a  swaying  and  annoying  shadow.  For  such  purposes 
the  light  should  also  retain  its  whiteness,  so  that,  if 
shades  of  a  pronounced  colouring  are  chosen,  they 
should  be  lined  with  white.  If  the  light  is  to  be  dif- 
fused over  a  wide  area,  it  is  well  that  the  shade  should 
be  light  in  tone  and  of  sufficient  transparency. 

Where  a  room  is  throughout  of  a  definite  period- 
character  the  lamp — as  other  lighting  fixtures — should 
of  course  follow  the  period.  Where,  as  in  many  in- 
stances, it  contains  more  or  less  period  furniture  but 
is  pleasantly  and  not  erratically  eclectic,  the  choice  is 
wide.  If  the  room  is  of  non-committal  character,  the 
lamp  may  be  anything  that  is  generally  attractive  and 
harmonious.  If  the  room  be  furnished  in  the  "newer" 
modern  mode,  the  form  of  the  lamp  should  be  simple 
and  the  colour  definite. 

In  a  large  room,  even  where  side-lighting  fixtures 
are  supplied,  a  pair  of  matching  or  similar  lamps  will 
often  be  needed.  They  may  be  placed  near  the  two 
ends  of  a  long  table  as  illustrated  in  the  group  of  lamps 
in  their  environment,  or  on  two  smaller  ones.  More 
interesting  sometimes  than  this  uniformity  is  a  large 
lamp  supplemented  by  one  or  two  smaller  ones  of  dif- 
fering character  placed  elsewhere  about  the  room. 
These  supplementary  lamps  need  not  always  or  gen- 
erally be  lighted,  but  should  be  placed  in  advantageous 
situations,  so  that  if  it  is  required  to  illuminate  that 
particular  portion  or  any  interesting  feature  it  may 
easily  be  done. 


336  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

LAMPS   OF    MANY    VARIETIES 

The  description  and  picturing  of  museum  pieces 
would  be  of  little  value  to  the  average  householder. 
Far  better  will  be  some  treatment  of  such  lamps  as 
are  not  absolutely  prohibitive  in  price,  together  with 
simple  but,  in  their  way,  artistic  products.  At  first  the 
variety  seems  bewildering,  but  a  little  consideration 
will  consign  most  of  them  to  certain  classes. 

Bowl  or  Vase  and  Pedestal  or  Standard  Lamps 
comprise  most  of  them,  though  there  are  attractive 
things  which  do  not  come  under  these  heads  and  which 
must  be  treated  separately.  These  two  may  be  equally 
handsome  or  equally  simple,  and  consequently  a  choice 
is  apt  to  resolve  itself  into  the  selection  of  the  particu- 
lar example  which  best  pleases  us.  It  may  be  noted, 
however,  that,  speaking  generally,  the  bowl  shape  has 
the  more  homelike  appearance,  while  the  pedestal  pos- 
sesses the  more  formal  quality.  If  space  on  the  table 
is  any  consideration,  the  pedestal  lamp  is  naturally 
the  one  chosen ;  or  else  a  tall  and  slender  bowl. 

BOWL  SHAPES 

These  are  made  of  almost  every  conceivable  mate- 
rial, but  among  the  best  are  those  of  porcelain  and  pot- 
tery with  silken  or  parchment  shades.  These  bases  may 
be  found  in  many  beautiful  shapes,  colourings  and  tex- 
tures, and  in  plain  tones,  mottled,  blended  or  decorated. 
The  shades,  likewise,  are  of  many  shapes  and  colour- 
ings, and  plain,  brocaded,  embroidered,  or  with  fig- 
ures, birds,  plants,  etc.  Not  only  do  these  lamps  of  plain 
or  blended  colouring  come  from  Europe  and  the  Orient, 
but  it  is  pleasing  to  be  able  to  say  that  many  kinds,  and 
some  of  them  among  the  very  best,  are  made  right  here 
in  our  own  land. 

Two  good  styles  of  handsome  lamps  without  dec- 


PLATE  103 


ATTRACTIVE    LAMPS    IN    ATTRACTIVE    ENVIRONMENTS 


A.  LAMP  OF  PAULEO  WARE  IN 
OLD  ROSE 

By  Courtesy  of  Wolstan  Herbert  Dixie,  Esq. 


B.   LAMP   OF   PEACOCK-FEATHER 
DESIGN  IN  BLUE  AND  GREY 


C.  CHINESE  PORCELAIN  L.AMP  IN  LIGHT 
BLUE,  WITH  SHADE  OF  THE  SAME  TONE 
EMBROIDERED  IN  BLUE,  ROSE,  YELLOW 
AND  GREEN.  FINIAL  OF  CARVED  WHITE 
JADE 
By  Courtesy  of  Mr.  Edward  I.  Farmer,  New  York  City 


PLATE   105 


PLATE   106 


~   V 
3T3 

Q  * 


ARTIFICIAL  LIGHTING  337 

oration  may  be  especially  mentioned :  vase  shaped  bowl 
of  pottery  mottled  in  the  baking,  soft  rose  or  tan,  with 
dark  metal  base,  with  shades  in  richer  tones  of  the  same 
and  handsome  silk  fringe  of  the  same  or  of  gold :  black 
porcelain,  vase-shaped,  with  teak-wrood  base,  the  porce- 
lain having  a  strongly  reflective  surface ;  dome-shaped 
shade  of  Burgundy  silk  with  fringe  of  the  same  and 
four  heavy  silk  cornering  tassels  depending  but  slightly 
below  the  fringe.  When  illuminated,  the  effect  of  the 
shade  reflected  in  the  upper  surface  of  the  bowl  is  of 
extreme  richness. 

If  the  reader  has  not  long  ago  reached  the  con- 
clusion that  the  most  beautiful  vase  lamps  extant  are 
the  Chinese,  he  will  probably  do  so  when  he  studies  the 
examples  shown  in  the  accompanying  plates. 

Of  Chinese  pottery  one  almost  fears  to  let  himself 
go  in  eulogy,  but  nothing  approaching  it  has  ever 
been  accomplished  in  other  Keramic  art  except  in  that 
of  their  neighbours  of  Japan.  In  form  the  Greeks  have 
always  been  acknowledged  supreme,  yet  it  is  doubtful 
if  even  they  exceeded  the  grace  of  some  of  the  Chinese 
contours,  while  in  the  realm  of  colour,  either  lavish  or 
restrained,  the  Oriental  stands  alone. 

For  the  person  of  average  means  there  are  repro- 
ductions. Eemarkably  good  ones  were  made  by  the 
Chinese  themselves,  and  in  some  of  the  famous  Eu- 
ropean factories  in  early  days,  but  these  are  probably 
now  also  practically  unprocurable.  Modern  European 
reproductions  are  usually  poor  and  so  are  some  of  the 
modern  Oriental  ones,  but  many  of  the  latter  are  of 
great  beauty — certainly  of  greater  beauty  for  lamps 
than  any  other  porcelain  at  our  command. 

Though  some  writers  have  dwelt  upon  the  differ- 
ence in  spirit  between  Oriental  and  European  art, 
Orientalism  runs  through  the  whole  cycle  of  Western 
22 


338  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

decoration.  It  was  even  rampant  among  the  Italians, 
many  Renaissance  motifs  being  of  Asiatic  influence,  to 
say  nothing  of  the  wave  of ' '  Chinese  taste ' '  which  swept 
eighteenth  century  England,  France  and  Italy.  We 
need,  therefore,  have  no  more  hesitation  in  introducing 
Chinese  lamps  than  Oriental  rugs  into  any  rooms  where 
the  general  scale  of  richness  and  colour  makes  them 
appropriate.  Those  of  simple  design  and  colouring 
may  with  equal  discretion  be  used  in  simple  rooms  and 
some  of  the  tones  of  yellow,  grey-blue  and  green  are  so 
exquisite  that  it  seems  as  if  no  decoration  could  enhance 
their  loveliness.  A  lamp  of  this  simple  contour  and 
with  a  handsome  but  not  unduly  elaborate  shade  is 
shown  at  the  left  of  the  group  of  three  Chinese  lamps 
illustrated  (Plate  107). 

One  may  sometimes  see  in  an  Oriental  store  a  vase 
which  particularly  takes  his  fancy  and  which  can  be 
bought  for  from  $8  to  $20.  Base  and  fittings  can  be 
added  by  an  electric-light  fitter  and  a  shade  of  any  de- 
sired style  made  to  accompany  it. 

The  art  of  Japan  is  second  only  to  that  of  China. 
The  bronze  lamp  illustrated  is  an  excellent  example 
(Plate  108  C).  The  modern  work  is  known  to  us  all. 
Speaking  in  general  only,  the  designs  in  the  modern 
Keramic  pieces  are  apt  to  be  large  and  effective  and 
usually  less  adapted  to  Western  interiors  than  are 
Chinese  ware  and  the  finer  patterns  in  the  pottery  and 
porcelain  of  Japan. 

For  rooms  done  in  the  " modern"  vein,  some  of  the 
plain  colours  previously  mentioned  would  be  admir- 
able. The  greys  could  have  shades  in  rose,  or  yellow, 
and  a  bowl  of  Chinese  yellow  might  be  accompanied 
by  a  shade  to  match,  edged  and  panelled  in  black  or 
deep  blue.  A  grey  lamp  with  shade  of  translucent  grey 
edged  in  the  same  way  with  Chinese  red  would  be 


PLATE  107 


PLATE   108 


A  and  B.  ORIENTAL  VASE  LAMPS  WITH  SHADES  OF  FIGURED  SILK  AND  DESIGNED 

PAPER,  RESPECTIVELY 
By  Courtesy  of  Messrs.  Ramsey,  Lyon  &  Humphreys,  Inc.,  New  York  City 


C.  A  BRONZE  REPRODUCTION  OF  AN  ANTIQUE 

JAPANESE  VASE 

By  Courtesy  of  Messrs.  Ramsey,  Lyon  &  Humphreys,  Inc., 
New  York  City 


A.    ITALIAN    RENAISSANCE  B.    PEDESTAL    LAMP    SUITED    TO    ANY 

PEDESTAL  LAMP  DIGNIFIED  ENVIRONMENT 

By  Courtesy  of  Messrs.  A.  H.  Notman  &  Co.,  New  York  City 


C.  PEDESTAL  LAMPS  OF  CARVED  WOOD,  THE  LEFT  ONE  GILDED,  THE  RIGHT 

PAINTED 
By  Courtesy  of  Messrs.  Ramsey,  Lyon  &  Humphreys,  Inc.,  New  York  City 


PLATE  110 


A  and  B.  TWO  ATTRACTIVE  LAMPS  FOR  THE 
BOUDOIR 


C.    A    COLONIAL    LAMP 

Arranged  by  the  Writer  so  that  the  Prisms 

do  not  Interfere  with  the  Direct  Light 


D.   MAHOGANY   STANDARD   LAMP 

Shade  in  Linen  Color  with  Floral  Design 

in  Rose,  Green  and  Brown 


ARTIFICIAL  LIGHTING  339 

equally  good.  The  lamps  of  plain  colour  Japanese  pot- 
tery with  brown  wicker  and  silk  shades — also  wickered 
— are  excellent  for  many  simple  rooms,  and  those  sur- 
rounded with  basket  work  are  equally  good  for  porches. 

The  dull  green  pottery  lamps,  both  American  and 
European,  have  been  a  good  deal  overdone  and  they  are 
neither  particularly  interesting  nor  individual. 

One  of  the  lamps  illustrated  has  a  design  of  pea- 
cock-feathers in  blue  and  grey  (Plate  104  B),  and  there 
are  many  other  charming  things  of  odd  design.  Wedge- 
wood  ware  is  dignified  and  appropriately  accompanies 
eighteenth  century  English  furniture.  Those  of  Dres- 
den and  similar  European  wares  are  likewise  attractive 
in  appropriate  situations. 

In  metal  there  are  many  good  shapes  in  bowl  lamps ; 
and  one  should  not  close  this  section  without  a  mention 
of  those  of  this  style  now  made  in  mahogany.  As  the 
wooden  bowl,  even  in  this  wood,  does  not  seem  either 
particularly  logical  or  elegant  they  are  better  painted 
or  decorated.  They  may  simply  be  painted  and  then 
lined  about  the  turning  with  a  harmonising  or  contrast- 
ing colour,  or,  as  their  forms  are  usually  classical,  they 
would  be  excellent  with  an  Adam  design  on  the  bowl, 
or  medallions,  in  addition  to  the  lining.  Before  paint- 
ing, the  finish  should  be  rubbed  down  with  fine  sand- 
paper, so  that  the  colour  will  take  well  and  evenly. 

PEDESTAL  LAMPS 

The  best  of  the  pedestal  lamps  are  naturally  those 
of  faithful  period  styles  because  they  are  the  best  de- 
signed, but  there  is  nevertheless  an  almost  bewildering 
array  of  attractive  things  of  modern  origin. 

A  word  of  caution  has  already  been  given  as  to  the 
appropriate  employment  of  period  lamps,  and  one 
would  think  that  flagrant  and  evident  incongruity  would 


340  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

naturally  be  avoided.  Yet  we  recall  a  photograph  of  a 
particularly  ornate  lamp  and  a  frivolous  bust  orna- 
menting (?)  a  bulbous  Jacobean  table  in  a  dignified 
Tudor  hall.  Pedestals  of  simple  classical  style  will 
accord  with  Georgian  furniture  and  often  with  the  cor- 
responding classical  periods  in  France  and  Italy. 

The  Empire  pedestal  lamps  with  frosted  and  cut 
glass  shades  and  suspended  prisms  are  excellent  and 
too  well  known  to  need  illustration. 

The  wooden  pedestals  are  generally  of  simple  con- 
tour, being  based  on  the  good  old  eighteenth  century 
Classic,  and  are  among  the  best  reasonably  priced 
lamps  for  sitting  and  bedrooms  (Plate  110  D).  Being, 
however,  so  frequently  used,  they  need  a  rather  unusual 
but  appropriate  shade  to  give  them  originality. 

The  wooden  pedestals  may  be  painted  and  deco- 
rated. For  rooms  in  the  "modern"  style  they  are  ex- 
cellent in  strong  colours,  striped  around  the  turning  in 
black,  deep  blue  or  white  and  with  shades  to  match. 

Pedestal  lamps  sometimes  have  an  accompanying 
figure  as  has  one  of  the  charming  little  boudoir  lamps 
illustrated  (Plate- HOB). 

Among  modern  things  are  pedestal  lamps  which 
have  been  more  or  less  based  on  period  styles  but  which 
are  sufficiently  non-committal  for  use  in  most  situa- 
tions (Plate  109  B). 

VARIOUS  DESIGNS 

It  would  scarely  be  fair  to  apply  the  word  novelty 
to  many  of  these  lamps,  because  while  they  are  unusual 
they  also  possess  dignity  and  value.  The 'central  ex- 
ample of  the  group  of  three  Chinese  lamps  (Plate 
107)  where  a  figure  is  employed  as  a  base,  is  of  this 
character.  So  also  are  others  in  which  dainty  western 


ARTIFICIAL  LIGHTING  341 

figures,  Chinese  Foo  dogs  and  other  objects  have  been 
utilised  in  the  same  way. 

Wrought  iron  standards  are  of  excellence  when 
well  designed. 

The  writers  recall  a  handsome  brass  affair  where 
the  base  was  a  pan,  with  feet,  from  the  centre  of  which 
arose  a  plain  standard  branched  for  three  lights  under 
a  metal  shade  and  with  a  lifting  handle  at  the  top.  This 
would  be  very  good  for  a  library  or  living-room  of 
strong,  dignified  character. 

CANDELABRA,  TORCHERES  AND  STANDARD  LIGHTS 

Candelabra  and  other  standard  lights  have  always 
played  -an  important  part  in  interior  furnishing  and 
they  are  of  equal  use  to-day.  They  are  especially  ap- 
propriate with  floors  of  marble,  mosaic  and  tile,  and 
decorated  or  sand-finished  walls  (Plate  100  B). 

The  ubiquity  of  the  standard  piano  lamp  has  rather 
discredited  all  varieties  of  the  floor  lamp  with  people 
of  individuality  unless  it  and  its  shade  are  unusual. 
Certainly  the  candelabrum  with  several  candles,  or  with 
electric  fitting,  or  with  the  lanthorn  top,  possesses  far 
greater  distinction. 

The  suggestion  of  employing  these  for  dining-rooms 
has  already  been  made :  they  are  of  equal  use  for  the 
illumination  of  desks  and  study  tables,  and  for  the 
bringing  into  additional  relief  of  some  special  feature 
of  decoration,  such  as  an  unusually  handsome  cassone 
or  chest,  a  valuable  tapestry  or  picture.  In  a  rather 
dusky  corner  of  a  library,  such  a  light  with  electric 
bulbs,  quickly  switched  on,  would  prove  of  value  in 
consulting  the  volumes. 

Such  standards,  whether  of  metal  or  wood,  plain, 
painted  or  decorated,  may  either  be  simple  and  attrac- 
tive or  highly  wrought.  Appropriateness  in  the  use  of 


342  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

the  latter  is  of  course  necessary;  i.e.,  a  magnificent 
lighting  arrangement  naturally  should  not  be  used  to 
illuminate  an  inconsiderable  desk  or  table. 

SHADES 

The  principal  requisites  are  that  shades  should  be 
in  harmony  of  likeness  or  of  contrast  with  the  lamp  and 
appropriate  to  the  surroundings. 

Such  a  variety  of  styles,  shapes  and  materials  are 
illustrated  that  one  may  easily  find  a  good  model  for 
any  lamp,  but  a  few  words  of  caution  are  necessary. 

The  pattern,  scale  and  spirit  of  lamps  and  shades 
must  not  be  incongruous — if  one  is  conventional  in  de- 
sign and  the  other  naturalistic,  the  spirit  in  each  is 
opposed  and  the  divergence  will  annoy ;  or  if  the  pat- 
tern in  one  is  larger  than  in  the  other,  this  will  prove 
equally  exasperating. 

Shades  should  not  come  down  too  low  on  the  lamp. 
In  the  group  of  lamps  in  their  environment  note  the 
rather  clumsy  appearance  given  by  this  fault  in  the 
second  example  as  compared  with  the  others.  Nor,  on 
the  other  hand,  should  they  stand  too  high,  as  a  skimpy 
appearance  will  then  result.  The  lines  of  shade  and 
lamp  together  should  make  a  graceful  and  pleasing 
contour. 


CHAPTER  X 

MANTEL  DECORATION"  AND  GARNITURE 

IMPORTANCE  AS  A  CENTRE  OF  INTEREST.  OVERMANTEL 
TREATMENT.  THE  MANTEL  SHELF  AND  ITS  PERILS.  THE 
CONSIDERATION  AND  ARRANGEMENT  OF  ORNAMENT. 

THE  mantel  began  as  architecture  and  ended,  in 
its  final  development,  as  furniture.  This  is  un- 
qualifiedly true,  so  far  as  the  historic  styles  of 
decoration,  with  which  we  have  to  do,  are  concerned. 
In  modern  practice  the  mantel  is  treated  sometimes  as 
one,  sometimes  as  the  other,  with  rather  a  leaning,  per- 
haps, to  the  architectural  interpretation.  For  the  sake 
of  brevity,  in  the  present  discussion  we  shall  use  the 
term  mantel  in  its  broadest  acceptation,  that  is  to  say 
as  including  both  the  fireplace  with  its  surrounding 
members  and  also  the  chimney-piece  or  overmantel. 
A  mantel  without  a  fireplace  (a  phenomenon  one  some- 
times encounters)  is  an  anomaly  and  has  no  more  sig- 
nificance or  use  than  a  waggon  without  wheels  or  a 
plum  pudding  without  plums.  When  such  a  case  exists, 
common  honesty,  as  well  as  common-sense,  demands 
that  a  fireplace  be  made  or  else  that  the  mantel  be  alto- 
gether eliminated.  The  fireplace-less  mantel,  therefore, 
requires  no  consideration  whatever. 

Whether  we  choose  to  regard  the  mantel  as  archi- 
tecture or  as  furniture,  there  are  two  facts  we  cannot 
dodge.  (1)  By  its  very  position  and  the  space  it  occu- 
pies it  is  usually  a  dominating  factor  in  the  composition 
of  a  room.  (2)  As  a  focal  point  and  important  item 
of  the  fixed  decoration,  it  naturally  serves  as  an  inter- 
mediate link  between  background  and  furniture  and 

343 


344  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

affords  a  point  of  departure  from  which  to  attack  the 
composition.  The  different  methods  of  mantel  treat- 
ment, ranging  all  the  way  from  the  strictly  architec- 
tural conception  of  the  Eenaissance  period  when  the 
overmantel  structure  extended  either  all  or  most  of  the 
way  to  the  ceiling,  to  the  mantel's  treatment  as  little 
else  than  furniture  in  certain  aspects  of  the  Neo-Classic 
style,  are  duly  set  forth  in  the  first  part  of  the  book  and 
may  be  studied  in  the  illustrations. 

When  the  mantel  with  its  attendant  chimney-piece 
or  overmantel  decoration  is  wholly  architectural  in 
character,  there  is  less  opportunity  for  the  injudicious 
to  treat  it  with  contumely  and  spoil  its  effect.  It  is 
when  there  is  no  fixed  overmantel  or  chimney-piece  that 
the  greatest  care  must  be  exercised.  It  is  perfectly 
obvious  that  the  overmantel  space  demands  a  suitable 
decorative  handling.  That  decoration  may  consist  of 
a  picture,  preferably  a  portrait,  or  else  a  subject  of 
distinctly  decorative  character  such,  for  instance,  as 
some  of  the  eighteenth  century  fruit  or  flower  pieces ;  a 
mirror,  which  is  generally  a  legitimate  substitute  for  a 
picture  and  is  susceptible  of  considerable  engaging  em- 
bellishment ;  a  bas-relief  or  a  carving,  perhaps  one  of 
the  old  Japanese  polychrome  carvings  or  one  of  the 
curious  Chinese  carved  and  inlaid  shop  signs ;  a  dec- 
orative map  or,  perhaps,  a  decorative  treatment  of  a 
plot  of  the  grounds  on  the  estate  adjoining  the  house; 
an  eighteenth  century  wall  clock,  such  as  one  of  the 
" sunburst"  clocks  of  English  or  French  design  or  one 
of  the  old  Dutch  clocks  with  ornate  case  and  free  hang- 
ing weights;  an  Oriental  screen  of  proper  size  with 
panels  laid  back  flat  and  fastened  against  the  wall ;  even 
a  well-designed  and  mellow  but  full-coloured  poster— 
the  writers  have  in  mind  a  wonderful  bird's-eye  view  of 
London  poster  got  out  by  the  tramways  corporation 


PLATE  111 


A.   A  FIREPLACE  IN  A  MODERN  APARTMENT 

Moulded    Surround  of    Wood:    Facing   of    Brass. 

Korean  Rug  in  Whitish  Grey,  Yellow  and  Blue 

Courtesy  of  Durr  Friedley,  Esq. 


B.    CHIMNEY-PIECE    BY    ROBERT    ADAM 

20  Portman  Square,  London 

From  "Robert    Adam    and    His    Brothers" 

Courtesy  of  B.  T.  Batsforrl,  Ltd. 


C.  ITALIAN  RENAISSANCE  FIREPLACE 
Carved    Stone    with    Hooded    Top 

Palazzo  Ruccelai,  loth  Century 
Courtesy  of  William  Helburn,  Inc. 


The  Two  Classic  Movements  are  well  Contrasted  in  These  Examples 


MANTEL  DECORATION  AND  GARNITURE     345 

— mounted  on  canvas,  shellacked  and  set  in  a  suitable 
flat  frame ;  or  any  one  of  the  various  other  devices  that 
afford  a  suitable  decorative  emphasis  and  a  point  of 
central  interest. 

If  the  object  selected  as  the  overmantel  adornment 
is  not  of  sufficient  size  to  create  a  proper  balance,  a 
hanging  of  some  sort — a  piece  of  tapestry  or  an  old  Ital- 
ian, Chinese  or  Japanese  brocade,  for  example — may  be 
placed  back  of  it  or  else  some  appropriate  subsidiary 
decorations,  such  as  sconces,  may  be  used  to  flank  the 
central  object  and  complete  the  composition  of  the 
grouping. 

Due  contrast  is  a  desirable  quality  to  impart  em- 
phasis in  the  overmantel  scheme.  Such  contrast  may 
be  attained,  for  example,  by  using  a  pre-Raphaelite 
picture  in  a  Florentine  frame  against  a  background  of 
dull,  greenish,  loose-woven  old  brocade,  or  by  a  Chinese 
painting  in  reverse  on  glass  in  a  teak-wood  frame 
against  a  rough  grey  plaster  wall.  The  mantel  shelf 
is  one  of  the  chief  sources  of  decorative  peril.  It  is 
almost  as  seductive  a  temptation  to  decorative  indis- 
cretions and  overloading  as  the  broad  top  of  a  sidje- 
board.  Only  the  firmest  resolve  and  devotion  to  the  in- 
valuable principle  of  restraint  will  save  it  from  a  clut- 
tering accumulation  of  things  that  had  far  better  be 
elsewhere.  Sedulously  shun  a  number  of  small,  trifling 
gimcracks  and  refrain  from  displaying  photographs 
thereon. 

When  there  is  no  mantel  shelf  the  danger  is  entirely 
obviated.  When  there  is  a  shelf,  one  must  carefully 
study  the  nature  of  the  overmantel  treatment  before 
venturing  to  place  any  movable  garniture  on  it.  Some 
overmantel  treatments  demand  that  very  little  be 
placed  in  front  of  or  beneath  them — such  as  the  Stuart 
overmantel  in  Plate  3  or  Plate  4,  and  the  intrusion 


346  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

of  conspicuous  garniture  would  be  an  unpardonable 
impertinence;  others,  again,  admit  of  more  latitude  in 
the  disposition  of  movable  garniture.  In  any  event, 
six  unalterable  principles  must  be  faithfully  observed 
— Restraint,  Suitability,  from  which  Dignity  follows  as 
a  corollary ;  Propriety  of  Scale,  Symmetry,  Concentra- 
tion and  Contrast. 

(1)  Restraint  must  be  most  scrupulously  exercised 
in  determining  the  number  and  nature  of  the  objects 
of  which  the  mantel  garniture  is  to  consist.    Have  but 
few  things  on  the  mantel,  but  let  each  one  of  them  be 
deserving  of  attention.     Don't  choke  the  legitimate 
garniture  with  a  weed  growth  of  trivial  things  and 
don't  be  afraid  of  empty  spaces;  they  are  restful  and 
dignified  and  act  as  foils  to  lend  appropriate  emphasis 
to  objects  of  decorative  worth. 

(2)  Suitability  demands  that  the  garniture  comport 
with  the  character  of  the  overmantel  decoration  and 
the  general  structural  environment.     Good  taste,  for 
example,  will  forbid  elaborate  Louis  Quinze  ormolu 
candelabra  upon  an  early  Georgian  mantel  with  its 
severely    architectural    overmantel    background;    the 
fundamental  conceptions  of  the  use  of  line  are  utterly 
at  variance  in  the  two  styles  which  mix  just  about  as 
well  as  oil  and  water.    There  is  no  reason,  however, 
why  garniture  of  contemporary  date  or  of  obviously 
close  stylistic  affinities  should  be  chosen.    It  is  enough 
if  there  be  some  common  point  of  contact,  some  har- 
mony by  either  analogy  or  contrast  of  design,  some 
basic  affinity  between  the  lines  of  the  background  and 
the  lines  of  the  garniture,  to  put  garniture  and  back- 
ground in  the  same  or  in  a  related  decorative  key. 

(3)  Propriety  of  Scale  means  that  the  size  of  the 
objects  composing  the  garniture  must  be  of  a  scale  to 
accord  with  the  whole  mantel  and  overmantel  compo- 


PLATE  112 


PLATE  113 


ARMORIAL  BEARINGS  AND  PLAN  OF  ESTATE  IN  COLOURS  USED 
AS  CHIMNEY-PIECE  DECORATION 
A.  Winter  Rose,  Esq.,  London,  Architect 


MANTEL  DECORATION  AND  GARNITURE     347 

sition — neither  too  large  nor  too  small.  In  other  words, 
upon  a  large  mantel  do  not  put  small,  attenuated  can- 
dlesticks, vases  or  the  like,  nor  above  it  hang  a  small 
and  insufficient  mirror  or  picture.  In  extreme  viola- 
tions of  the  scale  principle,  whatever  merit  the  individ- 
ual pieces  of  garniture  may  have  in  themselves  is 
wholly  lost  and  the  dignity  of  the  mantel,  which,  under 
the  circumstances,  looks  about  as  foolish  as  a  very  large 
fat  man  with  a  little  pee-wee  head,  is  destroyed.  Con- 
versely, do  not  overpower  a  small  mantel  with  things 
too  large  for  it.  This  principle  ought  not  to  need  spe- 
cial insistence,  and  yet  flagrant  disregard  of  it  offends 
the  eye  daily. 

(4)  Symmetry  must  be  maintained  in  disposing  the 
different  objects  both  with  respect  to  each  other  and 
with  respect  to  the  overmantel  behind  them  which  is 
symmetrical  in  its  architectural  or  decorative  expres- 
sion and  which  also  ordinarily  divides  the  whole  wall 
space  symmetrically.  If  the  balance  is  broken,  a  one- 
sided, incoherent  effect  follows.  Symmetry  does  not 
necessarily  imply  stiffness,  but  it  does  imply  a  deco- 
rous and  agreeable  formality.  It  is  plainly  necessary, 
therefore,  if  there  be  a  central  object,  that  the  ar- 
rangement of  the  garniture  be  triple — candlesticks, 
candelabra,  vases  or  jars  at  the  ends,  with  incense 
burner,  porcelain  bowl,  bronze  or  other  single  object 
in  the  middle — or,  again,  in  the  case  of  a  long  mantel, 
that  it  be  quintuple  as,  for  instance,  in  using  one  of  the 
old  Lowestoft  garnitures  consisting  of  three  jars  and 
two  vases  or  vice  versa.  In  any  event,  the  use  of  a 
central  unit  requires  for  the  whole  composition  an  odd 
number  of  reciprocally  balancing  units;  when  there  is 
no  central  unit  the  total  number  of  units  is  even.  A 
quadruple  arrangement,  for  instance,  may  consist  of 
four  similar,  equidistant,  balancing  objects  or  of  two 


THE  NUMBER  AND  CHARACTER  OP  PICTURES.  OIL  PAINTINGS, 
WATER-COLOURS  AND  PRINTS.  FRAMES,  GLAZING  AND 
MATS.  THE  HANGING  OF  PICTURES. 

PICTURES 

A  VOLUME  could  not  contain  all  the  advice  that 
might  be  offered  upon  this  subject:  the  present 
chapter  must  be  concise,  but  we  shall  endeavour 
to  make  it  helpful. 

NUMBER  AND  CHARACTER 

First,  then,  have  few  pictures  rather  than  many, 
and  omit  everything  not  really  desirable.  Avoid  the 
cluttering  of  walls — if  one  picture  is  sufficient  for  a 
space  do  not  use  two.  If  the  wall  surface  is  highly 
decorative  (as  with  a  Morris  or  Crane  paper  or  a  cre- 
tonne effect)  use  none.  Generally  speaking,  we  are  not 
attempting  art-galleries:  the  pictures  in  a  house  are 
part  of  the  decoration,  and  all  decoration  should  be 
consistent  and  proportionate. 

The  writers  already  have  a  sufficient  task  on  hand 
and  have  no  inclination  to  take  over  that  of  changing 
human  nature.  Pictures  are  not  usually  purchased  as 
decorative  units — the  best  possible  thing  for  a  certain 
situation — but  because  they  themselves  appeal  to  the 
buyer.  The  matter  of  fitting  them  in  is  often  left  for 
future  consideration  or  none  at  all.  At  least,  then,  let 
us  appeal  for  the  buying  of  good  pictures  only:  for 
good  art  almost  universally  will  fit  in — somewhere. 
The  cultured  may  browse  in  many  fields :  it  is  difficult 
350 


PLATE   114 


PICTURES  AND  THEIR  FRAMING  351 

to  guide  those  who  have  paid  attention  to  other  things 
in  life  and  have  neglected  art,  but  they  are  at  least  safe 
in  buying  reproductions  of  the  work  of  the  masters  of 
the  past  and  present,  provided  the  reproductions  them- 
selves are  worthy  and  adequate. 

Avoid  "Calendar  art";  avoid  the  saccharinely  sen- 
timental of  many  Victorians,  the  harrowingly  senti- 
mental of  such  pictures  as  "The  Doctor,"  and  avoid 
the  "soulful  doggie"  subject,  unless  perhaps  for  the 
nursery.  Shun  the  hackneyed.  Certain  pictures  have 
become  so  staled  by  over  use  that  they  only  irritate  any- 
one with  individuality. 

To  those  who  wish  to  make  their  selections  accord 
with  environment  it  may  be  said:  consider  first  the 
rooms  in  which  they  are  to  go  and  then  their  posi- 
tions in  these  rooms.  Do  not  put  a  dignified  Hol- 
bein in  a  Rococo  boudoir:  do  not  put  a  distinctly 
modern  picture  in  a  room  patently  of  the  past;  do 
not  purchase  anything  that  will.be  "out  of  scale" 
with  the  space  in  which  it  is  to  go,  or  out  of  harmony 
with  the  surroundings. 

If  a  room  is  of  definite  period  character  it  is  natu- 
rally wise  to  choose  pictures  of  that  period  and  frame 
them  in  accordance  therewith  (Plate  114),  always  re- 
membering the  latitude  allowed  by  the  principles  of 
International-Interperiod  Decoration  set  forth  in  Part 
III.  An  Italian  Renaissance  picture  may  usually  be 
employed  in  a  Tudor  room,  and  an  eighteenth  century 
French  print  in  a  Georgian  room. 

Where  a  house  is  not  strongly  period  in  character, 
there  is  much  latitude,  but  due  discrimination  should 
be  used. 

See  things  as  a  whole:  avoid  monotony  in  the  choice 
of  pictures  as  in  everything  else,  but  do  not  hang  right 
pictures  in  wrong  rooms  or  put  together  things  that 


352  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

are  alien  in  character:  as  extremes  are  most  quickly 
apprehended  let  us  say,  for  illustration,  a  Madonna  and 
a  fox-hunt. 

PAINTINGS 

Really  good  paintings  in  oil  or  water-colour  are,  of 
course,  of  the  first  consideration.  Amateurish  efforts 
at  once  condemn  the  taste  of  anyone  ill-advised  enough 
to  hang  them. 

The  old  conventional  flower  pieces  with  vases  (Plate 
58)  and  the  landscape-and-architecture  subjects  of  like 
period  are  of  excellent  decorative  value.  Some  of  these 
are  now  being  reproduced  by  modern  brushes. 

Colourful  and  strongly  decorative  paintings  and 
panels  are  appropriate  for  rooms  in  the  ''Modern" 
vein. 

COLOUR  PRINTS  AND  MONOTINTS 

Colour  prints  are  among  the  most  delightful  things 
at  one's  command.  The  original  eighteenth  century 
French  and  English  prints  are  now  almost  priceless, 
but  there  are  excellent  reproductions  at  fair  figures,  as 
well  as  travesties  which  should  be  shunned  at  any 
price.  This  is  also  true  of  the  old  sporting  print,  so 
admirable  in  its  proper  environment. 

"The  Connoisseur"  and  some  extra  numbers  of 
"The  Studio"  contain  excellent  reproductions  of  colour 
prints  that  may  be  used  where  small  pictures  are 
required. 

Good  old  Japanese  prints  (not  the  modern  garish 
things)  are  highly  decorative  and  the  work  of  the  mas- 
ters is  great  art.  Some  are  naturally  exceedingly  rare 
and  costly,  but  it  is  surprising  how  many  good  ex- 
amples can  still  be  bought  at  moderate  figures. 

The  German  lithographs  are  colourful  but  full  of 
the  deadly  heaviness  which  seems  to  oppress  all  Ger- 
man art 


PICTURES  AND  THEIR  FRAMING  353 

With  the  "Modern"  style  of  decoration  Bakst  and 
other  such  strong  and  striking  things  are  best.  Some 
of  the  effective  covers  of  such  periodicals  as  Vogue, 
Harper's  Bazaar,  House  Beautiful,  etc.,  may  be  used 
to  great  advantage  when  mounted  as  passe-partouts. 

Reproductions  of  miniatures  are  frequently  very 
attractive  and  dainty  bits  of  colour  decoration. 

Monotint  reproductions,  lithographs,  etchings  and 
drawings  are  admirable  for  libraries,  men's  rooms, 
professional  offices  and  living-  and  other  rooms  if  of 
a  scholarly  or  rather  plain  character.  With  the  excep- 
tion of  etchings  of  figure  subjects  in  the  brighter  vein, 
monotints  are  not  so  appropriate  for  use  in  rich  and 
handsome  drawing-rooms  and  boudoirs.  The  reason 
for  this  is  given  in  the  section  on  framing.  Further- 
more, in  a  room  where  paintings  in  gold  frames  occur  it 
is  inadvisable  to  use  monotints  or  other  pictures  in 
wooden  mouldings. 

FRAMING 

Generally  speaking,  there  are  two  differing  classes 
of  frames — the  wide  and  heavy  ones  naturally  appro- 
priate to  the  solid  medium  of  oil-colour  and  the  lighter 
and  slenderer  mouldings  used  for  water-colours,  prints, 
and  the  like. 

The  good  manufacturers  of  mouldings  have 
eschewed  the  debased  styles  so  prevalent  a  few  years 
ago  and  excellent  frames  are  now  procurable.  Very 
probably  Whistler,  who  designed  for  his  own  pictures 
admirable  frames,  simple  in  line  but  sufficiently  orna- 
mental, was  the  leader  in  this  reform,  and  the  return 
to  period  styles  has  also  had  great  influence  (Plates 
115  and  116).  Bright  and  flashy  gilt  frames  are  now  a 
thing  of  the  past  and  duller  gold  is  almost  universally 
used.  In  this  respect  the  pendulum  occasionally  swings 

23 


354  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

too  far  and  a  little  more  life  would  be  permissible.  We 
should  remember  that  the  walls  of  our  rooms  are  sel- 
dom so  strongly  lighted  as  the  framers*  shops  and  due 
allowance  should  be  made.  Some  mouldings  are  so 
greatly  dulled  that  when  placed  in  their  intended 
positions  we  find  that  too  much  decorative  value  has 
been  lost. 

This  brings  us  to  the  question  of  what  the  decorative 
value  of  the  picture  in  its  frame  should  be.  It  is  a 
decorative  unit,  and  in  size,  apparent  weight,  charac- 
ter, colour,  etc.,  it  should  neither  jump  into  undue 
prominence  nor  be  so  unobtrusive  as  to  sink  into 
oblivion.  If  a  decorator  errs  it  is  likely  to  be  in  the 
direction  of  suppressing  the  picture-unit  in  favour  of 
his  general  decorative  scheme;  if  the  artist  errs  it  is 
usually  in  exalting  it  at  the  expense  of  the  ensemble; 
there  is  a  ditch  on  each  side  of  the  road,  but  it  is  not 
necessary  to  fall  into  either.  In  trying  mouldings 
against  a  picture  the  attempt  should  therefore  be  made 
to  visualise  the  combined  picture  and  frame  in  the 
actual  position  they  are  to  occupy. 

FKAMES  FOK  OIL  PAINTINGS 

The  landscape  or  sea-piece  should  usually  have  a 
simpler  frame  than  the  ornamental  figure  subject; 
oftentimes  the  simpler  it  is  the  better.  Yet  it  is  difficult 
to  formulate  rules  where  each  picture  has  require- 
ments of  its  own.  Frequently  a  painting  of  full  and 
mellow  harmony  will  look  well  in  quite  an  ornamental 
setting  if  that  be  desired  (Plate  101)  and  again  a  virile 
piece  of  work  may  be  of  sufficient  strength  to  stand 
almost  any  frame.  It  is  the  picture  that  is  full  of  detail 
or  which  is  none  too  strong  in  ensemble  which  should 
not  have  further  and  distracting  detail  added  in  its 


PLATE  115 


GOLD  FRAMES  OF  STANFORD  WHITE  AND   WHISTLER   DKSKiX 
By  Courtesy  of  Newoomb   Macklin  Co.,  Chicago  and  New  York 


PLATE  116 


FRENCH,  PERIOD  FRAMES  WITH  FINELY  MODELLED  DETAILS 
By  Courtesy  of  Newcomb-Macklin  Co.,  Chicago  and  New  York 


PLATE   117 


AN   UNUSUALLY  BEAUTIFUL  SETTING   FOR  AN  ARCHITECTURAL  PAINTING 
By  Courtesy  of  Messrs.  Wilson    Eyre  and  Mcllvaine,  Architects,  Philadelphia 


PLATE    118 


ORXAMENTAL     MOULDINGS    FOR     WATER- 
COLOURS,    COLOUR-REPRODUCTIONS,    ETC. 
By  Courtesy  of  Newcomb-Macklin  Co. 


PICTURES  AND  THEIR  FRAMING  355 

frame.  For  old  portraits  nothing  is  so  appropriate  as 
the  frames  of  their  own  time  (Plate  98). 

Unless  newer  portraits  of  women  are  emphatically 
modern  in  spirit  we  may  use  for  them  the  very  beauti- 
ful Adam,  Louis  Quinze,  or  Louis  Seize  designs.  Men's 
portraits  will  be  more  appropriately  framed  in  rather 
heavier  and  simpler  mouldings,  of  which  the  Whistler 
styles  are  among  the  best  examples. 

There  are  many  good  non-commital  designs  for 
modern  paintings  of  various  classes. 

The  paintings  of  strongly  decorative  character — 
such  as  the  figure-pieces  of  the  great  Frenchmen,  pri- 
marily used  for  panels,  architectural  scenes  and  formal 
flower-pieces  with  sculptured  vases — partake  largely 
of  the  nature  of  architectural  decorations  and  should 
be  treated  accordingly.  An  unusually  beautiful  setting 
is  shown  in  Plate  117  and  others  occur  in  Plates  65  A, 
58  and  112. 

Glass  is  not  usually  employed  over  oil  paintings 
except  when  they  are  of  moderate  dimensions,  of  much 
value,  or  of  great  smoothness  and  delicacy  of  treatment, 
as,  for  instance,  the  work  of  the  Dutch  genre  painters, 
fine  portraits,  flowers,  and  the  like.  The  protection 
from  dust  and  gas  fumes  afforded  by  glass  is  however 
so  great  that  it  might  more  often  be  used  than  it  is. 
A  strip  is  set  in  by  the  frame-maker  so  that  it  does  not 
touch  the  picture. 

THE  FRAMING  OF  WATER-COLOUES,  DRAWINGS  AND  PRINTS 

Glass  must  necessarily  be  used  for  the  protection  of 
all  pictures  painted  or  printed  upon  paper. 

In  general  their  frames,  whether  of  gold  or  of  wood, 
should  be  slender,  ov  of  but  moderate  width,  unob- 
trusive and  yet  beautiful  in  form  and  line.  They  may 
be  rather  ornamental,  as  in  Plate  118,  or  extremely 


356  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

simple  and  plain.  Pictures  with  strong  contrasts  or 
masses  of  dark  colour  naturally  need  greater  sustain- 
ing weight  of  effect  in  the  frames  than  do  those  of 
lighter  and  slighter  nature. 

The  logical  frame  for  a  colour-reproduction  of  a 
picture  painted  in  a  certain  period  is  a  reproduction, 
to  the  scale  of  the  print,  of  its  original  frame,  or  at 
least  of  a  frame  that  might  appropriately  have  been 
used. 

One  of  the  beautiful  Italian  heads  or  figure-pieces 
with  its  appropriate  frame  would  be  in  keeping  with 
most  homes  of  restrained  and  semi-Classic  character  as 
well  as  in  those  of  the  period;  but  if  the  frame  were 
found  to  be  too  elaborate  or  too  expensive  in  appear- 
ance for  the  particular  place  the  picture  is  to  occupy  a 
simpler  frame  of  more  non-committal  but  generally 
Classical  or  dignified  nature  could  be  substituted. 

The  handsome  old  photograph  frames  of  thirty  to 
fifty  years  ago  make  admirable  settings  for  portrait 
reproductions  in  colour.  During  the  course  of  years 
the  gold  leaf  has  taken  on  dim  and  beautiful  tones  im- 
possible to  secure  except  through  age.  Such  a  frame, 
containing  a  reproduction  of  one  of  Sir  Joshua's  por- 
traits, appears  above  the  bookcase  in  Plate  119  A. 

For  a  monotone  reproduction  of  a  period  picture 
a  wooden  frame  appropriate  to  the  period  should  be 
used,  or  else  a  non-committal  but  not  incongruous 
moulding.  The  tone  of  the  frame  should  accord  with 
that  of  the  picture  and  be  slightly  lighter  than  its  dark- 
est masses.  In  the  framing  of  period  pictures  only  a 
man  who  knows  this  particular  phase  of  the  business 
should  be  employed. 

With  some  of  the  eighteenth  century  monotone 
prints  the  black  frames  with  high  polish  and  with  a 
narrow  gold  inside  line  may  most  appropriately  be 


PLATE   119 


A.  A  FINE  OLD  PHOTOGRAPH  FRAME  AS  A  SETTING  FOR  A  COLOUR- 
REPRODUCTION  OF  A  SIR  JOSHUA  REYNOLDS  PORTRAIT 


B.   AN   ARRANGEMENT   OF   SMALL   PICTURES   WELL   ILLUSTRATING   THE 

PRINCIPLES  OF  BALANCE 
Notwithstanding  the  number  of  small  objects,  this  room  preserves  an  admirable  repose 


PICTURES  AND  THEIR  FRAMING  357 

used.  Some  of  those  of  lighter  character  may  have 
mats  and  narrow  gold  mouldings. 

Writers  on  decoration,  of  course,  recognise  that  pic- 
tures must  be  in  proper  relation  to  the  room  and  that 
frames  must  be  in  relation  both  to  pictures  and  the 
room.  Yet  nowhere  have  we  seen  a  practical  word  of 
caution  upon  the  following  point.  In  the  section  on  pic- 
tures we  deprecated  the  employment  of  monotone  pic- 
tures in  handsome  and  colourful  rooms.  This  was  not 
only  because  of  the  pictures  themselves  but  because 
their  inappropriateness  is  further  emphasised  by  the 
wooden  frames  that  usually  and  properly  accompany 
them,  the  combination  being  unsuited  for  use  in  hand- 
some drawing-rooms  and  boudoirs,  with  satin-wood, 
mahogany  or  decorated  furniture  and  rich  textiles  of 
silk  or  velvet. 

We  will  go  further.  The  almost  universal  prescrip- 
tion for  Japanese  prints,  sanguines  and  drawings  or 
reproductions  in  but  slight  colour  is  the  wooden  frame, 
the  argument  being  that  nothing  should  be  used  that 
will  take  away  from  the  picture.  But  if  such  pictures 
are  placed  in  handsome  rooms  brown,  black  or  even 
grey  wooden  frames  do  precisely  this :  they  are  felt  to 
be  out  of  accord  with  the  room  and  so  both  attract 
notice  and  detract  from  the  picture.  Gold  was  con- 
sidered as  a  neutral  by  the  decorative  masters  of  the 
past,  and  dull  gold  mouldings  of  the  same  simplicity  as 
the  wooden  frames  are  equally  unobtrusive  and  still 
are  handsome,  and  so  appropriate  for  such  environ- 
ment. Down  the  long  hall  of  an  apartment  known  to 
the  writers  is  a  collection  of  Japanese  prints  on  Jap- 
anese paper  mounts  and  in  frames  of  this  narrow  gold 
moulding :  they  are  infinitely  more  attractive  than  they 
would  have  been  in  wood.  But  the  Japanese  use  wooden 
frames  for  their  prints !  Certainly ;  and  they  are  quite 


358  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

appropriate  for  the  Japanese  interior.  They  also  are 
for  some  of  ours,  but  they  do  not  accord  with  the  rich- 
ness of  others.  A  grouping  of  four  Japanese  prints  in 
one  mat  and  frame  is  shown  in  Plate  92  B. 

Mahogany  and  rosewood  are  more  refined  than  oak, 
and  if  the  furniture  is  mahogany  and  these  woods  agree 
with  the  pictures  they  may  be  used  in  a  room  of  a  lesser 
degree  of  richness  than  those  we  have  been  considering. 
A  narrow  gold  inside  line  may  often  be  used  with  these 
frames. 

To  sum  up,  our  general  contention  is  that  the  use  of 
a  brown  or  black  wooden  frame  for  a  picture,  in -colour 
is  a  derogation  from  the  picture  and  had  better  be 
avoided. 

A  suggestion  well  worth  bearing  in  mind  is  the 
painted  frame — which  although  occasionally  seen  has 
largely  escaped  the  attention  of  writers  on  decoration. 
Yet  with  painted  or  lacquered  furniture,  or  woodwork 
in  a  deeper  tone  than  the  wralls,  what  could  be  more 
suitable?  In  some  instances  the  frames  might  be  re- 
lated to  the  fabrics  employed  in  the  room.  An  appro- 
priate wooden  frame  may  be  bought  and  painted  in 
oil  in  any  desired  tone  or  colour.  If  there  is  a  mat 
between  it  and  the  picture  the  frame  might  be  in  the 
dominant  note  of  the  picture  or  it  might  harmonise 
with  the  woodwork  of  the  room.  A  few  of  the  possi- 
bilities opened  up  here  may  be  considered. 

The  dull  green,  red  or  blue  lacquer,  and  imitation 
lacquer,  tones  would  be  very  likely  to  suit  water-col- 
ours, pastels  or  colour-prints  used  in  the  same  room  as 
such  pieces.  If  there  were  several  pictures  and  one 
did  not  harmonise  therewith  it  might  be  used  elsewhere. 
So  also  it  would  not  be  difficult  to  select  one  of  the 
colours  of  body  or  ornament  of.  English,  French,  or 
Venetian  eighteenth  century  or  modern  decorated  fur- 


PICTURES  AND  THEIR  FRAMING  359 

niture  that  would  admirably  frame  the  pictures  used 
therewith,  thus  doing  something  out  of  the  ordinary 
which  yet  would  be  in  impeccable  taste.  Among  such 
colourings  would  be  found  entrancing  shades  of  old 
rose  and  mulberry,  old  blues  and  greens,  soft  yellows, 
tans  and  buffs.  Many  textiles,  too,  would  give  similar 
inspiration,  and  the  less  positive  tints  used  for  wood- 
work (if  darker  than  the  walls)  such  as  the  deep  ivories 
and  creams  or  French  greys,  would  be  exquisite  with 
such  paintings  or  prints.  A  gold  line  might  be  intro- 
duced with  advantage  in  many  instances,  especially 
where  gold  enters  into  the  furniture  decoration  or 
where  there  are  notable  candlesticks,  side-lights  or 
lamps  of  brass. 

In  an  apartment  the  writers  once  knew  there  hung  a 
Beardsley  figure  printed  in  vermilion  on  a  white 
ground:  it  was  in  a  vermilion  frame.  Since  then  the 
"Modern"  style  of  decoration  has  come  to  the  fore 
and  the  wall  trim  is  frequently  pronounced  in  colour. 
If  this  colour  is  found  by  experiment  not  to  "kill"  the 
strongly  decorative  pictures  likely  to  be  used  therewith 
the  keying  of  the  two  together  would  be  excellent.  A 
bit  of  strong  colour  in  simpler  rooms  is  also  often  ad- 
visable and  by  keeping  such  individual  things  apart 
from  other  pictures  conflict  is  avoided. 

In  the  carrying  out  of  any  of  the  preceding  sugges- 
tions overdoing  should  naturally  be  shunned,  as  a  touch 
too  much  invalidates  an  unusual  effect. 

Since  the  writing  of  the  above  we  have  seen  in  a 
Fifth  Avenue  shop  an  excellent  treatment  of  a  small 
reproduction  of  one  of  Velasquez's  infantas,  the  tones 
of  which  are  primarily  red  and  grey.  Its  frame  was  a 
narrow  band  with  a  raised  ridge  on  either  side.  The 
band  was  of  fawn  grey,  the  inner  ridge  of  red,  and  the 
outer  of  dull  gold,  the  gold  extending  over  the  whole 


360  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

outside  edge  of  the  frame.  Near  it  was  a  modern  pic- 
ture in  which  the  dominant  was  blue-violet.  The  frame 
was  the  same  as  that  just  described,  except  that  the 
band  was  of  the  violet. 

PHOTOGBAPHS 

Framed  photographs  are  in  general  much  better 
stood  upon  tables,  low  bookcases,  and  such  places,  than 
hung  upon  the  wall,  and  many  attractive  standing 
frames  are  now  procurable.  One  or  two  portraits  of 
artistic  merit  may  be  hung  and  in  such  cases  the  simpler 
the  frame  usually  the  better  it  is.  They  may  either  be 
framed  passe-partout,  close  or  with  a  mat  or  mount.  If 
the  frame  is  of  wood  it  should  key  with  the  picture.  A 
sepia  oval  photograph  may  well  be  enclosed  in  an  oval 
frame  of  dull  gold  with  bow-knot  or  other  simple  head- 
ing. If  a  mount  is  here  used  it  should  be  of  Japanese 
vellum  or  something  similar  in  tone  and  not  white.  A 
grey  photograph  in  a  greyish  mat  might  have  a  frame 
of  dull  silver  if  that  will  accord  with  the  surroundings. 

MATS  AND  MOUNTS 

The  use  of  these  seems  greatly  to  have  disturbed 
some  minds.  The  simple  truth  is  that  many  pictures 
of  all  types  other  than  oils  look  well  either  with  mats 
(of  not  too  great  contrast)  or  without  them,  and  those 
that  do  not  are  usually  so  clear  in  their  indication  of 
what  should  be  done  that  there  is  no  difficulty  in 
deciding. 

Engravings  and  etchings  are  usually  printed  with 
a  margin  of  paper  and  this  obviously  should  be  pre- 
served. Apart  from  the  artistic  point  of  view  it  is  to 
be  remembered  that  the  trimming  off  of  such  margins 
destroys  the  money-value  of  rare  prints.  Reproduc- 
tions of  portraits  with  dark  backgrounds,  whether  rec- 


PICTURES  AND  THEIR  FRAMING  361 

tangular  or  oval,  frequently  look  better  framed  "close 
up."  Perhaps,  with  caution,  one  may  say  that  dark 
pictures  are  less  likely  to  need  mats  than  lighter  and 
slighter  ones,  but  most  do  so  well  either  way  that  it 
is  useless  to  legislate.  The  proper  course  is  to  con- 
sider the  picture  itself  in  connexion  with  the  situation 
where  it  is  to  go.  The  objection  that  some — may  we  call 
them  "hard-and-f asters? "—urge  against  mats  and 
mounts  is  that  it  cuts  up  the  decorative  unit.  Some- 
times it  does  not;  sometimes  it  does;  and  sometimes 
that  is  the  very  best  thing  that  could  happen.  Suppose 
we  consider  each  in  order :  a  rather  spotty  water-colour 
will  be  simplified  by  a  mat;  a  dark  picture  in  a  dark 
frame  will  be  cut  up  by  the  introduction  of  a  light  mat 
between;  and  we  recall  a  hall  of  such  extreme  repose 
that  this  very  thing  was  absolutely  needed  to  give 
relief. 

Mats  and  mounts  should  not  be  of  dead  white,  but 
of  ivory,  cream  or  grey,  and  sometimes  of  darker  tones. 
A  gold  mat  inside  a  narrow  gold  edging  gives  practi- 
cally the  same  effect  as  a  wide,  flat  gold  frame. 

Margin  naturally  enlarges  a  picture  and  this  may 
often  be  the  determining  factor  as  to  its  use  or  omission. 

THE  HANGING  OF  PICTURES 

The  principles  of  placing  pictures  on  the  wall  are,  of 
course,  those  of  balance  generally.  The  natural 
height  is  usually  that  of  the  eye  or  but  little  above ;  but, 
as  there  is  nearly  always  some  piece  of  furniture  below, 
the  picture  should  be  in  due  relation  to,  and  form  one 
group  with,  that  object  and  those  others  that  may  rest 
upon  it.  The  accessories  of  vases,  candlesticks  and  kin- 
dred objects  that  may  stand  upon  a  console,  cabinet  or 
highboy  are  of  great  usefulness  in  tying  together  the 
picture  and  the  furniture. 


362  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

An  evil  genius  seems  to  prompt  some  people  to  hang 
pictures  too  high ;  the  setting  down  of  the  picture-rail, 
when  the  ceiling  is  disproportionally  high,  advocated  by 
the  writers  in  the  chapter  on  Walls  will  not  only  aid  in 
.overcoming  this  tendency  but  renders  unnecessary  the 
great  length  of  wire  required  when  the  rail  is  at  the 
cornice.  It  also  makes  picture-hanging  much  more 
convenient  and  less  laborious. 

The  proper  relation  of  picture  to  the  furniture  or 
mantel  below  it  and  the  best  arrangement  of  groups  are 
easiest  learned  by  the  study  of  good  examples. 

As  will  be  seen  by  some  of  these  illustrations  it  is 
quite  permissible  to  hang  one  or  a  very  few  pictures 
upon  panelling,  but  they  must  be  absolutely  appropri- 
ate in  character,  colour,  scale,  framing  and  placing 
(Plate  8  is  a  good  example).  It  is  also  permissible  to 
hang  appropriate  pictures  upon  a  wall  of  such  re- 
strained decorative  character  as  that  in  Plate  70  B,  but 
they  should  never  appear  upon  so  ornamental  a  sur- 
face as  the  cretonne  paper  shown  in  Plate  75. 

As  the  reason  for  avoiding  diagonal  lines  has  sev- 
eral times  been  referred  to,  it  should  now  hardly  be 
necessary  to  point  out  that  the  triangular  wire  fre- 
quently seen  (and  seen  sometimes  in  our  own  illus- 
trations here)  should  not  be  used  and  that  the  tops 
of  pictures  should  not  hang  out  from  the  wall.  An 
exception  to  the  rule  regarding  triangular  wires  is  in 
the  hanging  of  oval  frames,  where  the  converging  lines 
of  the  frame  make  it  the  obvious  arrangement. 

Silken  cords  are  sometimes  used  to  decorative  ad- 
vantage in  the  hanging  of  eighteenth  century  colour- 
prints  in  drawing-rooms  and  boudoirs.  The  heavy  cord 
used  with  the  old  portrait  in  Plate  79  A  adds  to  its 
quaintness  and  is  in  place  in  the  attractive  atmosphere 
of  this  room.  When  the  frame  is  obviously  heavy  it  is 


PICTURES  AND  THEIR  FRAMING  363 

often  a  good  device  to  make  the  hanging  apparatus  a 
deliberately  decorative  feature,  employing  silken  cords 
and  tassels  as  a  means  to  suspend  the  frames. 

The  hanging  of  pictures  with  two  perpendicular 
wires  is  of  the  simplest:  the  wire  is  passed  through 
both  screw-eyes  on  the  back  of  the  frame;  one  end  of 
the  wire  is  twisted  into  a  loop  over  one  picture  hook, 
which  is  then  hung  upon  the  rail.  By  then  placing  the 
other  hook  on  the  rail  and  looping  the  wire  over  it 
(twisting  but  slightly  for  the  moment)  a  picture  of 
moderate  weight  can  be  tried  at  greater  or  less  height 
until  precisely  the  right  altitude  for  appearance  is  de- 
termined. The  second  loop  can  then  properly  be  made 
and  the  surplus  wire  cut  off.  The  screw-eyes  should  be 
placed  very  near  the  top  of  the  frame  so  that  it  will 
hang  flat  against  the  wall. 


CHAPTER  XII 

DECORATIVE  ACCESSORIES 

THEIR  IMPORTANCE.      COLOUR-VALUE.      PURCHASE.      REDUN- 
DANCY.    SUGGESTIVE   AND    COMPARATIVE   LIST 

IT  has  been  observed  that  in  dress  a  man  or  woman 
may  be  known  by  shoes,  hats  and  gloves.  In  the 
same  degree  in  which  this  is  true,  the  taste,  and  to 
some  extent  the  character,  of  the  occupants  of  a  home 
are  made  evident  by  the  decorative  accessories  to  be 
found  therein. 

A  rare  collection  of  atrocities  we  find  them  in  some 
instances  to  be :  in  others  most  of  them  are  satisfactory 
but  unhappily  mingled  with  trifling  things  that  but 
clutter  and  destroy  repose.  The  worst  of  it  is  that 
these  annoying  little  things  are  often  objects  of  asso- 
ciation— small  remembrances  showered  upon  the  owner 
by  dear  and  well-meaning  friends — souvenirs,  calen- 
dars, fancy  pictures,  and  the  host  of  objects  from  the 
Women's  Exchanges — that  fill  a  man  with  amaze  that, 
when  there  is  so  much  of  true  use  and  beauty  which 
might  be  done,  such  a  waste  is  made  of  time  and  money ! 
For  the  sake  of  the  givers  and  our  love  for  them  such 
objects  should  be  treated  with  respect,  but — put  out  of 
sight. 

And  then,  finally,  we  see  other  houses  in  which  the 
accessories  at  once  indicate  strong  individuality  and 
exquisite  taste.  In  the  British  bedroom  illustrated 
(Plate  120),  for  instance,  what  flowers  would  so  well 
accompany  the  mellow  tones  of  the  panelling  as  the 
chrysanthemums  upon  the  table  I  These,  with  the  glint 

364 


M.ATK    120 


PLATE   121 


PORCELAINS  AS  ACCESSORIES  IN  A  FINE  ENGLISH  HALL 


PLATE  122 


A.  A  SCREEN  BOTH  USEFUL  AND  DECORATIVE 


B.   HAXGIXG, 


SCREEN  AND  PAXKLS   ISED   WITH   GOOD  DECORATIVE  EFFECT 
J.  Lovell  Little,  Esq.   Architect 


aivaxaddiHo  axv  oissvio  OSN  &o  NoixvxmKoo  v 


axvij 


SHIVHO  axv  avaxsaaa  oissvio  oax 

'(I       ^^"mV  IAX  8!n°T   'O 


Bd  P11'  pjc 
jo  pcajspag  paagaj-xig  qsmsdg  - 


)o 


xsaa 


aaxNivj  oissvio  oax  HSIKVJS 


y  jo 


X.1N7VA1  OISSV1O  O3N  NVIX3N3A  V 


S9I    3. 


DECORATIVE  ACCESSORIES  365 

of  metal  in  the  three-branched  candlesticks  the  books, 
the  few  choice  porcelains  on  the  narrow  mantel-ledge, 
the  interesting  fireback  and  irons,  the  patterned  cur- 
ta'ns  in  relief  to  the  plain  wall-surfaces,  show  the  great- 
est discrimination. 

Decorative  accessories  are  of  the  highest  value  in 
adding  interest — the  beautifully  simple  hall  shown  in 
Plate  121  would  not  be  what  it  is  without  the  fine  porce- 
lains used  as  accessories.  Numerous  other  instances 
will  be  observed  among  our  illustrations,  and  many  of 
these  will  be  referred  to  in  the  subsequent  list. 

COLOUR-VALUE 

In  the  direction  of  colour  these  accessories  may  be 
used  in  three  ways :  as  supplying  strong  colour  accents 
where  they  are  required  for  emphasis  and  enlivenment ; 
as  affording  a  variety  of  colour  where  the  furnishing  is 
too  much  in  one  hue;  or  for  the  carrying  of  colour 
through  a  room,  as  mentioned  in  the  section  on  "Unity 
and  Variety."  In  many  instances  a  beautiful  and 
colourful  vase,  panel  or  piece  of  tapestry  has  been 
made  the  keynote  of  a  decorative  scheme. 

PURCHASE 

As  it  is  by  such  objects  that  we  are  known  let  us 
avoid  hackneyed  things  to  be  found  in  every  shop. 
Decorators'  establishments,  antique  and  second-hand 
shops,  Oriental  shops  and  Chinatown  are  all  good 
places  to  keep  in  view — once  in  a  blue  moon  something 
unusual  will  find  its  way  even  into  a  pawnbroker's 
window. 

Expense  is  not  always  the  measure  of  merit,  and 
tasteful,  observant  people  will  have  no  difficulty  in 
finding  many  attractive  objects  at  reasonable  figures. 


366  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

Of  course,  it  is  futile  to  expect  to  pick  up  rare  and 
valuable  things  for  little  money— artistic  treasures  de- 
mand a  long  pocket-book  and  if  we  have  it  not  we  shall 
scarcely  possess  museum-pieces,  but  may  have  things 
of  beauty  nevertheless. 

EEDUNDANCY 

In  the  examples  mentioned  early  in  this  chapter  it 
will  be  seen  that  just  enough  has  been  done.  Overcrowd- 
ing vitiates  effect,  and  a  superfluity  of  even  the  beauti- 
ful is  unwise.  We  all  know  how  tiresome  the  museum 
becomes  to  the  casual  visitor ;  half  its  beauties  are  lost, 
except  to  one  busily  studying  and  comparing.  The 
motto  for  the  decorator  therefore  is :  Select — and  again 
Select.  Have  but  few  accessories  and  choose  those 
most  advantageous  for  their  purpose,  most  appropri 
ate  for  their  environment,  and  which  will  best  tell  in 
decorative  effect. 

As  a  practical  aid  a  list  of  accessories  is  given  for 
suggestion  and  comparison  of  advantages.  To  exem- 
plify: we  may  have  thought  of  purchasing  a  small, 
ornamental  mirror  for  a  certain  space  on  the  wall: 
looking  over  the  list  we  find  such  other  things  appro- 
priate to  that  use  as  wood-carvings,  plaques  of  mai- 
olica  and  porcelains,  painted  panels,  panels  of  della 
Robbia  design  or  those  of  wood,  carven,  coloured  and 
gilded  or  of  plaster.  Choice  may  be  made  from  these, 
or  an  odd  embroidery  or  other  textile  may  be  employed, 
or  perhaps  a  banjo  or  sunburst  clock.  In  short,  we  may 
look  very  considerably  before  we  leap,  and  it  is  well 
to  do  so. 

This  list  is  merely  for  suggestion  and  reminder  and 
makes  no  pretense  to  completeness.  A  few  observa- 
tions and  plate  references  are  added. 


DECORATIVE  ACCESSORIES  367 

BASKETS,  DECORATIVE,  for  flowers.    The  odd  shapes  are  very  engaging- 
BASKETS,  WASTE.    Avoid  beribboned  and  other  millinery  and  confec- 
tionery effects.    Real  baskets  (such  as  the  Chinese)  stained  or 

painted  are  among  the  best.    Metal  ones  decorated  in  the  same 

way  as  painted  furniture  are  attractive. 

BIRDCAGES.    The  best  forms  are  shown  in  plates  126  and  93  A. 
BOXES  AND  CASKETS.     Carved  wood,  ivory,  metal,  Chinese,  bon-bon, 

jewel,  etc. 

BUSTS  AND  STATUETTES.    Appropriate  in  formal  and  period  rooms- 
CANDLESTICKS.     Of  great  usefulness  and  in  endless  variety.    Good 

examples  shown  in  plates  9,  25,  77  A,  102, 119, 120, 129, 144, 161. 
CANDELABRA  AND  STANDARD  LIGHTS.    Plates  15, 19,  34,  39,  70  B,  89  B, 

93  A,  100  B,  135,  150. 

CHINESE  DOGS,  LIONS,  COCKATOOS  and  the  like. 
CLOCKS.    Plates  65  A,  96, 161. 
CRYSTAL  BALLS.    Decorative  and  occultly  interesting  (those  of  glass 

are  good  and  not  so  expensive). 
ECCLESIASTICAL  VESTMENTS.    Unless  these  can  be  used  in  a  religious 

connexion  with  a  shrine  or  crucifix  it  is  better  not  to  use  at  all. 

It  is  surely  poor  taste  if  not  irreverent  to  employ  them  as  table 

covers,  piano  "  throws,"  and  the  like. 
FIRE  SCREENS.    Plate  137. 

FLOWERS  AND  PLANTS.    Plates  59,  65  B,  114, 120. 
GLOBES,  MAPS  AND  PLANS.    Apparently  of  unlikely  decorative  use, 

but  see  plates  100  B,  19  and  113,  respectively. 
HANGINGS,  small,  of  needlework,  tapestry  or  Oriental  work. 
HEADS  OF  ANIMALS.    Appropriate  in  plate  135  or  a  camp,  but  in  the 

usual  modern  home  are  best  conspicuous  by  their  absence. 
LIGHTS,  HANGING,  AND  LANTHORNS.    Plates  89  B,  93  A,  100  B,  119  A, 

135. 
MIRRORS.     Of  great  decorative  usefulness.    Plates  25,  73,  92  A,  99, 

100  B,  133, 156, 158  C. 
PANELS  of  many  sorts.    Plate  122  B. 
PILLOWS  for  couches,  settees  and  chairs,    Plate  114. 
PLANT  BOXES. 

PLAQUES,  PLASTER,  etc.    Plate  70  B. 
POTTERY,  PORCELAIN,  METAL  AND  GLASS.     Vases,  jars,  jardinieres, 

mantel  and  table  ornaments,  etc.,  etc.    Plates  19,  23,  39,  50,  55, 

97  A,  100  B,  120,  121,  136  B,  160. 
SAMPLERS.    Old  needlework  pictures  and  the  like. 
SCONCES. 
SCREENS.    Very  decorative  and  of  much  use  in  preventing  drafts  and 

as  backgrounds.    Plates  55, 114, 122  A,  122  B- 
SMOKING    ACCESSORIES.      Beware    commercial    atrocities,    horribly 

designed  humidors  and  the  like.    With  so  many  unusual  carved 


368  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

and  other  boxes,  Oriental  jars  and  such  receptacles  which  could 
be  employed  for  cigars  and  cigarettes,  such  a  wealth  of  beautiful 
ash  trays  in  Benares  brass,  Oriental  porcelain  and  metals  of 
various  sorts,  such  necessaries  may  be  made  a  decorative  asset 
instead  of  the  too  usual  abomination. 

TABLE  COVERS  AKD  RUNNERS. 

TILES.  Single  Persian  and  other  highly  decorative  tiles  are  excellent 
as  small  ornaments. 

UMBRELLA  HOLDERS.  Use  great  discretion  in  their  choice.  A  really 
good  Chinese  jar  makes  one  of  the  best  holders. 

WALL  ORNAMENTS.  Carved  wood,  often  painted  and  gilded.  Plaques 
and  panels  of  maiolica,  della  Robbia  porcelains,  plaster  in  the 
white  or  tinted.  Plates  23,  127,  129. 

WALL  POCKETS,  Chinese,  for  small  growing  plants. 

WINDOW  TRANSPARENCIES  of  leaded  glass. 


PART  III 

INTERNATIONAL  -  INTER    PERIOD 
DECORATION 


Beautiful  things  have  dignity.  E'njoy  the  rhythm  of 
your  dancing  and  admire  the  beauty  of  your  bookbinding. 
In  whatever  you  do,  have  an  ideal  of  excellence.  Any 
separation  between  art  and  work  is  not  only  an  error,  but 
it  is  very  bad  business.  Our  brave  allies,  the  French, 
have  made  Paris  the  art  centre  of  the  world.  They  have 
built  up  and  maintain  their  large  and  lucrative  trade 
in  the  decorative  products  of  France,  mainly  by  reason 
of  three  qualities  which  they  possess.  In  the  first  place, 
they  enjoy  art  themselves,  and  reverence  it.  In  the  sec- 
ond place,  they  have  a  tremendous  power  of  hard  work. 
And  in  the  third  place,  every  Frenchman,  and  still  more 
every  Frenchwoman,  have  within  them  an  immense  fund 
of  common  sense.  The  threefold  secret  is,  Love  of  Art, 
Industry,  and  Common  .Sense. 

"  THE  ORGANISATION  OP  THOUGHT  " 

By  A.  N.  Whitehead,  Sc.D.,  F.  R.  S. 
London :  Williams  &  Norgate 
Philadelphia:   J.  B.  Lippincott  Company 


PART  III 

INTERNATIONAL-INTER  PERIOD 
DECORATION 

A  NEW  SYSTEM 

INTRODUCTION 

THE  ASSEMBLING  OF  STYLES  OF  VARIOUS 
NATIONS  AND  PERIODS 

A     BROADENING     OF     SCOPE.      INTERNATIONAL-INTER  PERIOD 
DECORATION.     THE    BASIC    PRINCIPLES. 

A  BROADENING  OF  SCOPE 

IN  these  days  of  greater  public  enlightenment  and 
appreciation  of  beauty  it  is  scarcely  worth  while 
to  argue  the  question  of  period  furnishing.  It  is, 
rather,  the  purpose  of  these  chapters  to  show  how  its 
scope  may  be  broadened,  rendered  more  flexible  and 
adaptable  to  modern  life,  and  how  the  disadvantages 
urged  against  what  is  commonly  considered  period 
furnishing  may  be  eliminated.  If  such  a  system  is 
to  continue  in  use,  if  it  is  to  become  more  than  a  matter 
of  accurate  copying  of  the  past,  it  must  prove  itself 
alive,  capable  of  growth  and  adaptable  to  changing 
conditions. 

Period  furnishing  is  commonly  considered  to  be  the 
reproduction  in  our  modern  dwellings  and  apartments 
of  the  interior  decoration  and  furnishing  of  some  one 
past  period  in  a  particular  country,  and  it  has  been 
objected  that  such  a  method  does  not  properly  repre- 
sent us  to-day.  The  present  writers  are  not  greatly 
concerned  in  confuting  this  point  for  the  simple  reason 

371 


372  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

that  a  much  better  method  is  to  be  presented;  but  it 
might  be  observed  that  wherever  the  one-period  style 
is  adopted  because  the  person  is  filled  with  such  ad- 
miration and  love  for  the  work  of  the  great  designers 
of  that  period  that  he  wishes  to  surround  himself  with 
its  beauty  and  charm,  there  is  small  chance  of  its  not 
being  suited  to  his  personality ;  for  in  a  sense  it  is  he 
and  so  is  representative. 

There  is,  however,  a  flaw  in  the  one-period  manner 
of  furnishing  which  is  less,  if  at  all,  noted — that  with 
a  wide  knowledge  and  appreciation  comes  the  ware- 
ness  that  there  are  other,  and  many  other,  objects  of 
beauty  that  do  not  come  within  the  narrow  province 
of  his  particular  choice. 

It  was  doubtless  some  dim  appreciation  of  this  that 
led  decorators,  as  the  next  step,  to  attempt  an  enlarge- 
ment of  scope  or  to  suit  varying  tastes  by  the  employ- 
ment of  different  period  styles  in  the  various  rooms  of 
the  same  establishment — a  dumping  down,  so  to  speak, 
of  separate  epochs  under  one  roof — a  method  that  ut- 
terly violated  the  unities  and  the  result  of  which  pre- 
sented the  appearance  of  a  series  of  show-rooms  in  a 
decorator's  shop. 

And  now,  during  the  last  few  years,  we  have  been 
hearing  much  of  a  reasonable  eclecticism.  Just  \vhat 
would  constitute  it  such  must  have  been  a  puzzle  to  the 
many  who  have  given  but  scant  attention  to  matters  of 
household  decoration.  Doubtless  even  decorators  who 
have  practised  this  method  with  a  fair  measure  of  suc- 
cess have  secured  their  results  through  their  general 
taste  and  information  rather  than  by  any  very  careful 
consideration  or  formulation  of  the  principles  involved : 
so  that  it  is  by  no  means  surprising  that  the  decorator 
who  is  scarcely  more  than  a  tradesman  and  the  house- 
holder unlearned  in  such  affairs  should  often  "come 


PLATE  123 


PLATE  124 


PLATE   125 


DINING-ROOM   IN   "MODERN"  STYLE  IN  A  NEW  YORK 
APARTMENT 

Walls  Fawn;  Woodwork,  White;  Floor,  Black;  Vermilion  Line  Around  Foot 
of  Baseboard.  Chairs,  Light  Green-blue;  Table,  Birch,  Natural  Colour, 

Polished 

Note  excellent  use  of  accessories 
By  Courtesy  of  Durr  Friedley,  Esq. 


PLATE  126 


INTRODUCTION  373 

a  cropper"  in  a  field  that  requires  knowledge  and  the 
nicest  discrimination. 

The  word  eclecticism  itself  is  scarcely  the  best  that 
could  be  used  in  this  connexion,  as  it  implies  "a  selec- 
tion from  different  systems  or  sources,"  a  taking  here 
and  there  that  would  be  faulty  practice ;  but  it  at  least 
makes  some  approach  to  what  is  the  only  really  satis- 
fying and  scientific  method  of  decoration,  whether  for 
palatial  establishments  or  for  small  homes  or  apart- 
ments wrhere  the  occupant  wishes  to  secure  results  in 
accord  writh  cultured  taste,  breadth  of  appreciation  and 
wideness  of  life. 

INTERNATIONAL-INTER  PERIOD    DECORATION 

The  difficulty  with  period  decoration  in  the  past  has 
lain  in  that,  except  in  the  hands  of  a  few  architects  of 
distinction,  it  has  not  been  true  to  its  name;  that  it  has 
taken  account  of  but  a  selected  period  in  but  one  coun- 
try and  in  but  one  phase  of  the  existing  movement,  and 
not  that  movement  viewed  as  an  whole  and  as  mani- 
fested throughout  neighbouring  nations  all  under  the 
same  influence  or  decorative  impulse.  It  is  the  old 
fault  of  narrowness,  of  insularity,  of  want  of  catho- 
licity in  outlook. 

In  our  modern  egotism  we  have  been  wont  to  con- 
sider the  present  the  only  cosmopolitan  age :  those  who 
have  not  pursued  the  subject  might  be  astonished  at 
the  amount  of  communication  between  nations  at  all 
periods,  at  the  wareness  that  always  existed  among 
artists  and  craftsmen  as  to  what  their  brothers  of  far 
away  were  about,  at  the  universality  with  which  dec- 
orative impulses  spread  from  land  to  land. 

It  is  those  impulses  that  we  shall  now  take  into 
account,  the  four  waves  of  influence  spreading  horizon- 
tally, so  to  speak,  across  the  civilised  world ;  and  it  will 


374  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

be  done  so  simply  and  so  practically  that  all  may  under- 
stand. They  will  be  considered  broadly  and  even  baldly 
here,  so  as  quickly  to  arrive  at  their  helpful  and  prac- 
tical application  to-day.  Not  only  will  the  more  elab- 
orate phases,  suited  to  palatial  homes,  be  considered, 
but  also  the  simpler  and  more  neglected  aspects  of  each 
period,  those  adapted  to  the  modest  house  and  to  prop- 
erty that  is  not  owned  by  the  occupant.  The  several 
influences  will  be  treated  in  sequence,  down  to  the 
debacle  of  all  decorative  art  in  the  early  nineteenth 
century;  and  the  characteristics  of  each  will  be  so 
shown  that  the  reader  may  readily  see  which  makes 
its  strongest  appeal  to  his  own  personality,  is  there- 
fore most  individual  to  him  and  most  representative 
of  himself,  his  general  circumstances  and  his  life.  It 
will  thus  be  no  less  a  guide  to  the  decorator  in  his  en- 
deavour to  endue  his  client  with  appropriate  surround- 
ings and  to  the  retail  dealer  in  any  of  the  allied 
branches  of  furnishing  in  his  advice  to  possible 
purchasers. 

THE  BASIC.  PRINCIPLES 

Let  us  begin  at  the  beginnings  of  modern  art.  Dur- 
ing the  Dark  Ages  the  Church  saved  culture  and  civil- 
isation, and  the  Church  was  Gothic.  (The  East  and 
Venice  were  Byzantine  and  the  West  had  been  Roman- 
esque, which  style  developed  into  Gothic.)  This  Gothic 
style  was  naturally  modified  in  each  country  by  national 
influences,  as,  for  instance,  by  the  Moorish  element  in 
Spain.  With  exceptions,  Italy  remained  Romanesque, 
because  there  the  overmastering  influence  of  the  great 
Classic  remains  and  the  national  characteristics  and 
tastes  largely  prevented  the  Gothic  from ' '  taking  hold. ' ' 

In^that  country,  at  about  the  year  1400,  began  the 
"Revival  of  Learning, "  a  Renaissance  of  the  Classic 
spirit— an  awakened  interest  in  the  literature  and  art 


INTRODUCTION  375 

of  "the  glory  that  was  Greece  and  the  grandeur  that 
was  Borne" — a  revival  that  almost  revolutionised 
thought  and  art  and  which  swept  with  mighty  impetus 
over  the  face  of  all  but  most  northern  and  eastern 
Europe. 

One  civilisation  or  art  seldom  wholly  routs  and  dis- 
places another;  but,  even  though  absolutely  different 
in  principle,  the  new,  somehow,  grafts  itself  upon  the 
old.  In  France  this  blending  became  the  styles 
Francois  Premier  and  Henri  II :  in  England  it  became 
what  we  know  as  Elizabethan  or  Tudor. 

Does  our  plan  now  begin  to  emerge?  If  one  pos- 
sesses an  Elizabethan  house  not  only  may  there  be  used 
in  it  Elizabethan  furniture,  but  also  furniture  of  Re- 
naissance France,  Flanders,  Italy,  Spain  or  Portugal — 
for  all  were  of  the  same  spirit !  The  Eenaissance  also 
found  its  way  to  Germany,  but  Germany  has  no  con- 
sideration here. 

Naturally,  this  is  not  to  say  that  in  every  epoch 
every  individual  furnishing  or  piece  of  furniture  made 
under  one  influence  will  properly  accompany  every 
other  single  piece,  for  there  are  qualifications  which, 
later,  will  be  entered  into,  but  the  recognition  of  the 
international  extent  of  this  and  subsequent  movements 
gives  a  wide  basis  upon  which  to  work ;  so  that  with  a 
proper  regard  to  the  unities,  we  may  add,  for  example, 
to  the  English  furnishings  of  any  epoch  treasures  from 
these  other  countries,  or  reproductions  thereof. 

The  international  extent  of  this  method  of  furnish- 
ing now  having  been  established,  we  may  go  further. 

Such  a  momentous  impulse  as  that  of  the  Renais- 
sance does  not  soon  exhaust  itself;  indeed,  that  im- 
pulse has  never  died,  and,  though  temporarily  obscured, 
revived  and  is  exceedingly  alive  to-day.  Before  its  par- 
tial obscuration  it  ran  through  several  reigns  in  Eng- 


376  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

land — and  England  is  used  as  a  key  because  of  its 
greater  familiarity  to  most  readers.  The  architecture 
(exterior  and  interior)  of  that  country  never  there- 
after lost  its  Classic  feeling,  but  in  furniture  the  Classic 
was,  in  the  Jacobean  period,  blended  with,  and  finally 
in  the  reign  of  Queen  Anne  almost  driven  out,  by  the 
succeeding  Baroque  influence.  In  other  countries  the 
Renaissance  also  persisted  until  succeeded  by  the 
Baroque. 

So,  to  the  international  extent  of  this  plan — its  hor- 
izontal aspect,  so  to  speak — we  may  add  the  chrono- 
logical or  vertical  element,  the  two  giving  a  wide  field 
of  choice,  and  adapting  the  Renaissance  influence  (as 
others  which  are  to  follow)  to  an  extensive  range  of 
circumstances  in  our  modern  life.  A  chart  is  given  at 
the  end  of  this  volume,  showing  both  the  international 
and  the  chronological  extent  of  each  influence. 


CHAPTER  I 

THE  RENAISSANCE 

WHAT  THE  RENAISSANCE  WAS.  MODERN  CONDITIONS.  THREE 
METHODS  OF  TREATMENT.  ELABORATE  WALLS.  EXTERIOR 
AND  INTERIOR.  TREATMENTS  OF  MODERATE  SCOPE.  PLAIN- 
WALL  TREATMENTS.  FURNISHINGS  AND  FURNITURE.  THE 
ASSOCIATION  OF  FURNITURE  OF  VARIOUS  NATIONALITIES. 
THE  PRACTICABILITY  OF  INTERNATIONAL  FURNISHING. 
CHARACTERISTICS  OF  THE  RENAISSANCE.  THE  INTER 
PERIOD  ELEMENT 

WHAT  THE  RENAISSANCE  WAS 

IN  taking  up  this  first  influence  we  may,  very  prac- 
tically, ask :  How  did  it  manifest  itself  in  the  arts 
—in  short,  what  was  it? 

The  popular  superstition  is  that  when  the  great 
awakening  took  place  in  Italy  the  masters  of  the  Re- 
naissance period  simply  brought  to  life  the  art  of  the 
Greeks  and  Romans  which  was  their  heritage — a  very 
convenient  formula  for  those  who  do  not  think.  The 
truth,  briefly,  is  that  during  all  the  centuries  which  lay 
between  the  fall  of  Rome  and  the  year  1400  the  wide 
internationalism  to  which  we  have  referred  was  quietly 
doing  its  work ;  treasures  of  Oriental  art  were  continu- 
ally finding  their  way  thither  both  direct  and  through 
the  Copts  and  Spanish  Moors.  Renaissance  architecture 
(and  decoration)  was  never  therefore  the  pure  Classi- 
cism of  Greece  and  Rome.  It  was  the  fusion  of  all  three 
of  the  great  artistic  influences,  the  Gothic,  the  Oriental 
and  the  Classic,  with  the  Classic  for  the  time  being  as 
the  inspiration  and  informing  influence. 

377 


378  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

MODERN   CONDITIONS 

So  practical  is  the  aim  of  these  chapters  that  no 
further  will  they  go  until  they  take  into  account  a  very 
prevalent  circumstance  of  modern  life. 

The  very  term  interior  decoration  is  indicative  of 
the  fact  that  through  all  periods  the  interior  architec- 
ture has  had  its  share  of  attention  and  decoration.  But 
a  large  proportion  of  tasteful  people  to-day  live  in 
rented  apartments  or  houses,  and  few  care  to  panel  or 
decorate  walls  for  the  benefit  of  a  landlord  only  too 
likely  to  seize  the  advantage  given  and  increase  the 
rental  so  soon  as  the  lease  expires.  Even  those  of  some 
considerable  means  and  occupying  their  own  houses 
may  not,  in  these  days  of  many  uncertainties,  care  to  go 
to  the  large  expense  involved  in  elaborate  wall-decora- 
tion. What,  then,  shall  be  done  if  such  persons  wish  to 
adopt  the  Renaissance  style  of  furnishing — or  that  of 
any  succeeding  age  ? 

The  answer  must  be  that  if  period  decoration  is  to 
continue  in  use,  then  it  must  show  itself  adapted  to  the 
changing  conditions  of  modern  life  and  circumstance ; 
and  that  it  is  so  adaptable  is  the  very  purpose  of  these 
chapters  to  demonstrate.  Common  sense  teaches  us 
that  if  we  wish  to  surround  ourselves  with  the  beautiful 
objects  produced  by  the  genius  of  the  past,  or  their 
reproductions,  and  yet  that  our  walls  must  remain 
plain,  the  obvious  course  is  frankly  to  combine  the  two 
conditions.  And  if  any  justification  for  such  a  pro- 
cedure beyond  the  enlightened  common  sense,  which 
must  be  the  basis  of  all  art  and  of  all  beauty,  must  be 
established,  if  a  precedent  must  be  found  to  back  up 
all  our  proceedings,  it  is  found  right  here — for,  during 
the  Italian  Renaissance,  one  of  the  greatest  art  periods 
of  the  world's  history,  where  walls  were  not  decorated, 
they  were  entirely  plain  (Plate  127). 


PLATE  127 


ROOM  IN  PALAZZO  DAVAXZATI,  FIREXZE,  FIFTEENTH  CENTURY 

Note  Plain  Walls,  Tiled  Floor,  Niche,  Panelled  Doors  and  Painted  Timber  Ceiling 

Courtesy  of  William  Helburn,  Inc. 


PLATE  128 


W  -o 


THE  RENAISSANCE  379 

THREE  METHODS  OF  TREATMENT 

It  is  at  once  evident,  therefore,  that  we  may  adopt, 
according  to  circumstances,  any  one  of  three  methods 
of  treatment ;  and  these  apply  to  the  subsequent  epochs 
as  well  as  to  that  we  are  now  considering. 

I.  If  the  premises  are  of  elaborate  character  and 
the  means  of  the  owner  in  accordance,  the  more  elab- 
orate phases  of  the  epoch  may  be  chosen  and  followed. 

II.  With  both  large  and  small  premises  the  simpler 
but   still   decorative   phases    of   any   period   may  be 
adopted.    Or,  as  in  some  periods  these  simpler  forms 
have  not  been  largely  preserved  and  pictured  for  our 
guidance,  simplifications  may  intelligently  be  made. 

III.  As  first  mentioned,  we  may  use  period  furnish- 
ings with  walls  entirely  plain  but  appropriate  in  colour 
and  treatment  to  the  period  chosen. 

We  may  also  combine  any  two  of  these  three — em- 
ploying the  more  elaborate  decoration  for  public  rooms 
and  the  simpler  for  bedrooms,  morning  rooms  and  the 
less  public  parts  of  the  house. 

ELABORATE   WALLS 

In  order  that  the  statement  of  this  method  of  Inter- 
national-Inter Period  Decoration  may  be  complete  in 
itself  and  readily  comprehended,  it  has  been  written 
independently  of  Part  I.  That  Part,  however,  gives  a 
complete  digest  of  all  particulars  regarding  the  dec- 
oration of  the  various  periods  during  the  four  great 
movements,  and  for  full  details  regarding  any  epoch 
it  should  be  carefully  considered.  Illustrations  are 
there  also  given  of  the  architectural  backgrounds  of  all 
the  countries. 

It  is  only  necessary,  therefore,  to  epitomise  the  mat- 
ter of  Eenaissance  backgrounds  by  saying  here  that  the 
small  square  or  the  rectangular  panelling  of  oak  was 


380  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

the  typical  style  of  Renaissance  England;  that,  while 
such  panelling  was  used  to  some  extent  in  the  northern 
section  during  early  Renaissance  times,  it  was  not  typi- 
cal of  Renaissance  Italy,  where  the  walls  were  plain, 
diapered,  or  highly  decorated  in  colour  and  gilding; 
Spain,  always  influenced  by  Italy,  largely  followed  the 
Italian  ideals,  but  these  were  naturally  modified  by  the 
powerful  Moorish  element  prevailing  in  Spanish  art; 
they  were  plain  or  plain  on  their  upper  portion,  the 
lower  being  a  dado  of  many  coloured  tiles  or  of  painted 
canvas ;  in  France,  walls  were  sometimes  at  first  in  the 
small  panelling,  but  they  were  more  generally  of  stone 
or  plaster,  which  might  be  painted  or  frescoed,  some- 
what in  the  Italian  style.  Hangings  were  largely  em- 
ployed with  these  walls.  Later,  these  isolated  hang- 
ings were  less  used  and  walls  were  panelled  in  larger 
panelling  and  often  moulded  and  gilded.  Or  they  might 
be  frescoed  or  covered  with  tapestry  or  other  hangings. 
In  the  various  countries  under  Renaissance  influ- 
ence there  were  also,  of  course,  constructional  and  styl- 
istic differences  in  ceilings,  windows,  doors  and  man- 
tels—all duly  treated  in  Part  I. 

EXTERIOR  AND  INTERIOR 

In  considering  the  use  of  the  more  ornamental  back- 
grounds a  question  at  once  arises.  As  will  now  have 
been  seen,  great  differences  existed  in  the  treatment  of 
the  interiors  of  the  various  nationalities  under  Renais- 
sance influence,  and  in  exterior  architecture  the  dis- 
similarity was  still  more  fundamental.  It  is  obvious 
that,  in  general,  exterior  and  interior  architecture 
should  agree,  so  that  with  our  system  of  the  use  of  in- 
ternational furnishings  and  furniture  the  enquiry  at 
once  springs  to  the  fore:  Is  it  permissible  and  is  it 
feasible  to  employ  the  fixed  architectural  backgrounds 


THE  RENAISSANCE  381 

of  the  various  nationalities  under  Renaissance  influ- 
ence under  one  roof  f 

To  this  question  the  writers  are  not  going  to  give 
as  answer  a  categorical,  but  a  qualified  yes.  This  pro- 
cedure has  been  followed  by  Stanford  White  and  a  few 
other  architects  of  great  ability — and  it  requires  genius 
of  this  order  satisfactorily  to  combine  such  elements. 
We  know  that  Italian  architects  and  craftsmen  working 
in  England  and  France  grafted  Renaissance  character- 
istics upon  the  national  developments  of  architecture 
both  exterior  and  interior,  and  did  it  successfully,  too. 
How  far  such  national  characteristics  may  to-day  suc- 
cessfully be  mingled  will  depend  largely  upon  the  abil- 
ity of  the  architect  or  decorator  employed.  Suffice  it 
to  say  that  if  he  be  a  genius  his  versatility  will  be 
tempered  by  discretion  and  the  result  of  his  efforts  will 
in  no  wise  resemble  a  museum  or  a  melange.  If  archi- 
tecture is  to  be  more  than  correct  archaeology  it  is  well 
to  ask  ourselves  if  it  is  not  in  this  very  direction  of  the 
blending  of  elements  that  are  largely  congruous,  be- 
cause informed  with  the  same  spirit,  that  architectural 
life  and  development  lies.  Absolute  originality — a 
start  de  novo,  a  breaking  with  the  traditions  of  the  past 
— means  foredoomed  failure;  intelligent  combination 
may  put  new  vigour  into  the  architecture  of  to-day. 
Especially  might  this  be  true  of  American  architecture 
— America  being  itself  a  combination,  and,  by  its  asso- 
ciations in  the  past  war  likely  to  become  still  more 
cosmopolitan. 

In  deciding  upon  any  period  decoration  it  is  not 
only  interesting  but  necessary  to  learn  how  far  our 
choice  is  free  and  unhampered  and  how  much  it  is  de- 
termined for  us  by  existing  exterior  architectural  con- 
ditions. Where  this  exterior  is  definite  it  must  natur- 
ally exert  a  largely  determining  influence.  But  this 


382  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

general  rule  is,  like  every  other,  subject  to  qualifica- 
tions. It  does  not  follow  that  because  a  New  York 
apartment  house  is  in  style  French  Chateau  or  Flemish, 
each  one  of  the  fifty  or  hundred  apartments  it  con- 
tains must  preserve  that  style  of  decoration — in  apart- 
ments we  may  choose  any  style  desirable  in  other  re- 
spects. Nor,  if  we  are  reasonable  and  liberally  inclined, 
should  the  narrow  front  of  a  city  house  not  pronouncedly 
definite  be  allowed  to  impede  our  catholicity.  The  old 
brown-stone  front  of  New  York  is  of  a  debased  period 
that  we  may  well  ignore,  and  the  brick  houses  of  Phila- 
delphia and  Boston,  though  derived  from  the  earlier 
Georgian,  need  not  cause  us  many  qualms.  What  there 
is  good  in  them  is  mainly  classical  and  so  sufficiently 
adapted  to  most  styles  of  decoration.  A  country  house, 
with  all  sides  exposed  and  of  definite  exterior  architec- 
ture, is  another  story.  If  one  does  not  care  to  live  in  an 
interior  in  accordance  with  the  epoch  of  its  outward 
appearance  he  had  better  secure  another  house.  The 
mere  mention  of  an  Elizabethan  house  with  Rococo 
panelling  will  be  sufficient  to  point  the  lesson. 

TREATMENTS  OF  MODERATE  SCOPE 

As  has  been  said,  we  may  choose  the  less  elaborate 
phases  of  Eenaissance,  or  any  other  wall  decoration. 
In  such  cases  also,  unless  one  has  knowledge  and  facil- 
ity, the  services  of  a  decorator  will  be  required.  If  the 
architectural  lines  and  details  are  not  already  quite 
approximately  correct  they  should  be  made  so  before 
panelling  or  decoration  is  applied.  Either  may  be 
comparatively  simple  but  should  be  according  to  the 
period.  Elaborate  carving  of  mantels,  cornices  and 
door-jambs  may  be  omitted,  but  architecturally  they 
should  be  right.  In  rented  apartments  or  houses,  in- 
consistencies, if  not  pronounced,  may  be  excused.  If 


THE  RENAISSANCE  383 

the  Italian  Renaissance  style  is  chosen,  the  diapered 
wall  is  an  excellent  resource.  What  may  be  done  in  the 
way  of  intelligent  adaptation  is  admirably  shown  in 
the  living-room  illustrated  by  Plate  70  B  in  the  chapter 
on  Wall  Treatment,  where  also  is  described  the  manner 
in  which  this  attractive  effect  was  gained. 

PLAIN  WALL  TREATMENTS 

Italian  walls,  when  plain,  were  in  sand-finished  or 
smooth-finished  plaster  and  in  natural  tones  or  of 
creams,  ochres,  light  chocolate  or  grey.  It  is,  therefore, 
evident  that  any  such  existing  wall  will  admirably  an- 
swer for  a  Renaissance  interior.  If  the  walls  have  been 
papered,  a  sand-finished  paper  may  be  applied.  If  the 
property  is  rented  and  the  existing  paper  is  in  too 
good  condition  to  be  replaced,  it  would  answer,  provid- 
ing that  it  has  the  general  appearance  of  a  perfectly 
plain  surface  in  the  right  colouring — such  as  a  cream 
felt  or  granite  paper  would  afford. 

An  illustration  is  shown  (Plate  128)  of  a  remodelled 
farmhouse  with  plain  walls,  in  which  the  Renaissance 
effect  is  excellently  given  by  the  tapestry  and  well- 
chosen  furniture  of  England  and  Spain,  with  an  Orien- 
tal touch  in  the  lamp  and  rug. 

FURNISHINGS  AND  FURNITURE 

At  this  point  the  decorator,  retailer  or  householder 
arrives  at  much  easier  going  than  hitherto ;  for  it  is  a 
fact  that  all  movable  decorative  objects  are  in  all  ages 
much  more  likely  to  be  affected  by  the  decorative  influ- 
ence then  prevailing  than  is  the  more  massive  and  fixed 
architectural  structure ;  and  so  the  furnishings  and  fur- 
niture under  that  influence  approach  each  other  much 
more  nearly,  though  always  somewhat  differentiated 
by  national  characteristics.  It  is  this  very  difference 


384  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

i 

that  adds  variety  and  charm  in  our  system  of  inter- 
national decoration  and  gives  it  its  value.  By  this  plan 
also,  as  has  been  intimated,  we  are  enabled  to  bring 
within  our  scope  many  beautiful  objects  from  other 
lands,  or  their  reproductions,  which  would  be  forbidden 
us  by  a  closer  adherence  to  the  one-period,  one-country 
method  of  furnishing.  How  far  this  immense  advan- 
tage will  still  further  be  enlarged  we  shall  realise  when 
we  come  to  the  consideration  and  addition  of  the  inter- 
period  element  of  this  method. 

It  has  been  felt  advisable,  in  these  chapters,  to  give 
as  many  illustrations  of  the  furniture  of  Continental 
Europe  as  limits  permit  rather  than  to  exhaust  space 
with  cuts  of  the  well-known  English  furniture.  Those 
who  wish  to  make  comparisons  can  readily  do  so  by 
referring  to '  *  The  Practical  Book  of  Period  Furniture ' ' 
by  Eberlein  and  McClure,  where  British  and  American 
forms  are  described  and  illustrated  in  detail. 

There  is  little  of  the  movable  furnishing  of  strictly 
Renaissance  provenance  originating  in  one  country  that 
may  not  be  employed  in  the  interiors  of  another.  The 
word  " strictly"  is  here  used  because  not  a  great  while 
after  the  full  flowering  of  this  influence  another  move- 
ment arose — the  Baroque — which  blended  with  it.  For 
the  avoidance  of  all  confusion,  however,  this  will  later 
and  separately  be  treated,  so  that  for  the  present  we 
may  confine  ourselves  to  the  furnishings  of  the 
Renaissance. 

As  has  been  mentioned,  wall  hangings  were  largely 
employed  and  may  be  considered  one  of  the  notes  of 
Renaissance  furnishing.  These  were  of  tapestry,  bro- 
cade, velvet  or  embroidery.  Any  such  Renaissance 
pieces,  or  reproductions  thereof,  may  be  used. 

Floors  were  largely  uncovered.  In  England,  how- 
ever, rushes  were  spread  over  them,  and  when  these 


THE  RENAISSANCE  385 

were,  to  phrase  it  gently,  soiled,  more  rushes  were 
spread  over  these  again,  till  sanatory  conditions  be- 
came what  would  be  as  horrifying  to  us  as  we  trust  the 
present  state  of  our  streets  would  be  to  those  living  a 
few  years  hence.  Oriental  rugs  have  always  been  em- 
ployed to  some  extent  and  may  be  used  in  Renaissance 
interiors  to-day.  Plain  or  bordered  rugs  might  also 
well  be  employed  provided  the  borders  are  plain,  or  of 
lines,  or  of  a  dignified  design  appropriate  to  a  Renais- 
sance setting  (Plate  80). 

The  fact  that  the  furniture  of  other  nations  in  a 
particular  period  may  be  introduced  in  the  interiors 
of  any  one,  is  fortunate  for  the  owners  of  Elizabethan 
or  Tudor  houses.  Probably  the  most  creditable  action 
of  Henry  VIII  of  tainted  memory  was  the  introduction 
of  the  Renaissance  into  England.  There  it  had  its  in- 
fluence, but  England  was  then  a  less  polished  nation 
than  Italy  in  the  domestic  arts,  and  till  early  Stuart 
times  the  furnishings  of  British  houses  were  few.  Wall 
furniture  (chests,  buffets,  cupboards  and  cabinets) 
composed  its  bulk.  Tables  were  but  few,  their  place 
being  mostly  supplied  by  boards  on  trestles.  Benches 
and  joint-stools  usually  comprised  the  seating  furni- 
ture. Chairs  were  most  infrequent  and  were  at  first 
of  the  character  known  as  wainscot  chairs,  and  there 
was  little  upholstered  furniture  till  the  Restoration  or 
near  it.  The  bedsteads  always  occupied  a  position  of 
state,  and  these  were  immensely  large  and  heavily 
carved.  The  furniture  of  Renaissance  England  must, 
therefore,  be  supplemented  from  that  of  the  succeeding 
epoch  or  from  other  countries  under  Renaissance  in- 
fluence if  we  are  to  have  what  is  now  considered  an  hab- 
itable home  (Plates  136  and  3). 

With  such  barrenness  and  to  some  extent  rudeness 
as  has  been  described  we  may  contrast  the  dignified  and 
25 


386  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

elegant  furnishings  of  Continental  Europe  during  the 
same  period.  There,  too,  the  rooms  were  of  enormous 
proportions,  and  anything  approaching  the  crowding 
of  furniture  was  sedulously  avoided.  The  pieces  were 
large  and  generally  of  the  same  materials — oak  and 
walnut.  Wall  furniture  there  also  occupied  a  position 
of  much  importance,  but  tables  and  seating  furniture 
existed  in  great  variety  and  beauty,  the  latter  being 
upholstered  in  rich  velvets,  brocades,  damasks  and 
needlework.  In  addition  to  wall-hangings  there  were 
mural  ornaments,  pictures  and  carved  ornaments  of 
wood,  often  painted  and  gilt.  Sculpture  and  pottery 
were  abundant.  Candlesticks  and  candelabra  were  of 
carved  and  gilded  wood  and  of  iron  with  ornament  of 
colour  and  gilt. 

The  chests,  or  cassoni,  were  frequently  carved  by 
the  great  sculptors  of  Italy,  the  panels  often  embel- 
lished by  the  painters  whose  names  are  household 
words  with  us.  These  and  other  wall-pieces  were  often 
treated  with  gesso  and  then  with  colour  and  gilding. 

No  one  knowing  the  indebtedness  of  English  litera- 
ture to  Italian  sources,  realising  the  spread  of  Renais- 
sance influence,  and  appreciating  that  only  time  and  the 
march  of  progress  were  necessary  to  bring  this  added 
refinement  to  England,  will  hesitate  to  select  from  such 
furnishings  and  add  them  to  those  belonging  to  a  Brit- 
ish interior  of  Tudor  times. 

Common  sense  will  give  us  the  general  precept  that 
the  correct  course  is  to  use  principally  and  as  a  foun- 
dation the  furniture  appertaining  to  the  nationality  of 
the  architectural  background,  supplementing  it  by  that 
of  other  nations  under  the  same  influence.  "Where  there 
is  no  distinctive  background  we  may  choose  as  a  basis 
what  we^will,  and  give  variety  by  the  addition  of  these 
other  pieces.  National  characteristics  will  always 


PLATE    129 


Photograph  by  Alinari 

A.  Carved  and  Inlaid  Armoire,  15th  Century 


B.  Carved  Walnut  Credenza  and  Cabinet  O.  1550) 

ITALIAN  RENAISSANCE  WALL  FURNITURE 
By  Courtesy  of  Radillo-Pelitti  Co. 


PLATE  130 


A.  Renaissance  Walnut  Chair          B.  Renaissance  Umbrian  Chair 


P.    17th    Century    Chair 


D.   17th  Century  Circular  Table 


E.  16th  Century  Chair 


Late  Renaissance  with  Incipient  Baroque  Influence 
All  the  above  from  the  Volpi  Collection  by  Courtesy  of  American  Art  Galleries 


F.  Renaissance  Table  G.  Late  Renaissance  Table 

By  Courtesy  of  Radillo-Pelitti  Co. 
ITALIAN  RENAISSANCE  CHAIRS  AND  TABLES 


PLATE  131 


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o'  ~& 

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B     V 


X 


i    ^H 

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PLATE     132 


A.  FRENCH  RENAISSANCE  WALNUT  CHAIRS 

Lyons  School,  16th  Century 
By  Courtesy  of  Messrs.  L.  Alavoine  &  Co.,  New  York 


B.  AN  ELIZABETHAN  COFFER— ENGLISH  RENAISSANCE 
Bv  Courtesy  of  Messrs.  Edwards  &  Sons,  Ltd.,  London 


THE  RENAISSANCE  387 

assert  themselves  through  a  general  resemblance,  and 
they  give  us  a  happy  many-sidedness  and  versatility 
of  decoration  impossible  of  being  realised  when  we  con- 
fine ourselves  to  an  absolute  reproduction  of  an  Eng- 
lish, French,  Italian,  Flemish  or  Spanish  style.  A  study 
of  the  pieces  of  furniture  illustrated  herewith  will  dem- 
onstrate both  this  unity  and  variety.  In  viewing  them 
we  shall  at  once  see  their  generally  rectilinear  char- 
acter. Curves  there  are,  to  be  sure,  but  we  shall  only 
have  to  become  familiar  with  those  of  the  succeeding 
Baroque  and  Rococo  influences  to  realise  the  Classic 
features  everywhere  informing  Renaissance  design.  It 
is  by  this  comparison  of  varying  forms  that  stylistic 
differences  are  quickly  apprehended,  rather  than 
through  reams  of  detailed  description. 

THE  ASSOCIATION  OF  FURNITURE  OF  VARIOUS  NATIONALITIES 

In  Plate  89  is  a  grouping  of  an  excellent  Italian 
cabinet  flanked  by  two  Italian  chairs  of  the  most  rigidly 
formal  type,  with  runner  beneath  the  feet,  and  prop- 
erly upholstered  in  velvet  with  gold  galons.  The  upper 
finials  of  such  chairs  are  almost  always  gilded.  The 
candelabra  are  of  iron. 

The  adaptability  to  association  of  nearly  all  the 
pieces  selected  for  illustration  will  be  evident.  Instead 
of  the  cabinet,  just  mentioned,  might  be  used  with  good 
result  such  a  piece  as  the  Italian  armoire  or  the  longer 
credenza  in  Plate  129,  the  double  cabinet  in  the  same 
plate,  the  French  cabinet  (Plate  131 B),  the  Eliza- 
bethan coffer  (Plate  132  B)  or  one  of  the  Spanish  Var- 
gueiios  (Plate  133  B  or  Plate  134  A).  Even  the  Italian 
pillar-base  table  (Plate  130  F)  placed  between  these 
chairs  and  aided  by  a  pair  of  tall  Renaissance  candle- 
sticks would  do  well.  Associated  with  such  furniture 
in  imposing  rooms  might  be  the  large  Italian  armoire 


388  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

(Plate  129  A),  the  French  armoire  (Plate  131  A)  or 
the  Spanish  armoire  showing  Moorish  influence 
(Plate  133  C). 

It  is  equally  evident  that  if  one  of  the  pieces  foreign 
to  Italy  were  chosen,  the  result  would  be  more  interest- 
ing than  if  the  cabinet  remained,  for  of  recent  years 
the  strictly  Italian  Renaissance  period  has  been  exten- 
sively treated  and  has  lost  its  novelty.  Furthermore, 
if  one  is  the  possessor  of  such  a  foreign  piece  of  furni- 
ture he  is  by  this  method  enabled  to  employ  it  to  the 
greatest  advantage,  whereas  he  could  not  use  it  if  he 
were  adhering  to  an  exclusively  Italian  Renaissance 
style  of  decoration. 

On  the  other  hand,  should  we  allow  the  cabinet  to 
remain,  we  might,  by  the  present  system,  appropri- 
ately use  with  it  the  Italian  scroll-arm  chairs  in  the 
Davanzati  room  with  plain  walls  (Plate  13)  the  curule 
chair  in  the  interiors  shown  in  Plate  15,  the  English 
wainscot  in  the  remodelled  farm-house  (Plate  128),  the 
French  Renaissance  (Plate  132  A),  the  chair  in  won- 
derful needlework  (Plate  130  A),  that  adjoining  it,  or 
those  in  Plate  134  B,  C  and  D.  The  Spanish  chair,  with 
brass  mounts  (Plate  134  F),  would  be  of  special  inter- 
est in  such  surroundings. 

Much  other  interesting  Renaissance  furniture  will 
be  seen  in  the  rooms  of  the  various  nationalities  under 
that  influence  in  Part  I  and  in  Plates  127  and  135  in  this 
chapter.  They  excellently  illustrate  the  points  of  re- 
semblance and  difference  which  make  for  unity  and 
variety  in  the  furniture  of  different  nations.  A  com- 
parison ^of  these  pieces  will  be  illuminating  and  will 
familiarise  the  reader  with  national  characteristics. 

Even  during  the  Renaissance  there  were  smaller  or 
more  homelike  pieces  of  furniture  than  those  so  far 
mentioned,  and  some  of  these  also  are  illustrated.  The 


PLATE  133 


A.  Chest  with  Painting  Inside  Lid  (c.  1500).     Carved  Walnut  Spindleback  Chairs  (c.  1550) 
By  Courtesy  of  C.  M.  Traver  Co. 


B.  Varguefio  Cabinet  on  Cupboard   (c.    1550)  C.  Armoire  of  Carved  Walnut  (c.  1500).  Small 
Carved  Walnut,  Parcel  Gilt  and  Polychrome  Panels  Reflecting  Moorish  Influence 

By  Courtesy  of  C.  M.  Traver  Co.  By  Courtesy  of  Mr.  Nicholas  Martin 


SPANISH    RENAISSANCE    WALL    FURNITURE 


PLATE  134 


A.  Spanish  Renaissance  Varguefio 
Courtesy  C.  M.  Traver  Co. 


B.  Renaissance,  Span-  C.  Portuguese  Renais- 
ish    Colonial  sance,  Incipient 

(So.  America)  Baroque 

John  Wanamaker        Mr.  Nicholas  Martin 


D.  Spanish   Renais- 
sance Carved  Walnut 

C.  M.  Traver  Co. 


E.   Spanish   Renaissance  Table  F.   Spanish   Renaissance   Chair 

with  Wrought-iron  Brace  in  Red  Velvet,  Brass  Mounts 
Courtesy  C.  M.  Traver  Co.  Courtesy  Robinson  &  Farr 

SPANISH    AND    PORTUGUESE  RENAISSANCE    FURNITURE 


PLATE  135 


THE  RENAISSANCE  389 

English  gate  table  used  in  the  remodelled  farmhouse 
(Plate  128)  has  proved  so  universally  useful  that  we 
may  well  wonder  why  there  are  no  reproductions  of 
such  pieces  as  the  non-folding  but  certainly  most  desir- 
able Italian  circular  table  shown  in  Plate  130  D.  The 
chair  to  its  right  is  attractive,  and  that  on  the  left 
would  make  an  admirable  hall  chair.  *The  Spanish 
chest  and  small  chairs,  with  tapestry,  in  Plate  133  are 
good  pieces,  and  the  Spanish  table  (Plate  134  E),  of 
which  there  are  many  variations,  would  impart  decided 
interest  into  a  Renaissance  home. 

Bedsteads  are  not  so  interchangeable  as  other  fur- 
niture. Some  of  the  French  and  Italian  beds  resemble 
each  other,  but  the  introduction  of  one  of  the  well- 
known  bulbous-posted  Elizabethan  bedsteads  in  an  in- 
terior so  definitely  Italian  and  restrained  as  that  of 
the  Davanzati  bedchamber  (Plate  15  A)  would  be  a 
mistake.  It  has  already  been  mentioned  that  not  every 
piece  of  furniture  of  Renaissance  inspiration  will  go 
with  every  other  piece,  and  it  may  be  added  that  such 
discrimination  as  the  above  is  necessary  as  regards 
their  use  in  the  interior  to  be  furnished. 

It  is  to  be  noted  as  a  general  principle  that  the 
introduction  of  but  one  piece  of  foreign  furniture  may 
be  a  disturbing  influence :  it  is  better  to  * '  back  it  up " 
with  one  or  more  additional  pieces  of  the  same  or  a 
different  nationality,  for  by  this  procedure  the  inter* 
tion  of  a  varied  furnishing  is  made  evident  and  the 
room  with  all  its  different  elements  becomes  immedi- 
ately interesting. 

The  arrangement  characteristic  of  Renaissance 
rooms,  with  the  absence  of  any  superfluity  and  crowd- 
ing of  decorative  elements,  is  well  shown  in  all  the 
original  Renaissance  interiors  illustrated  and  in  the 
modern  interior  shown  in  Plnie  135. 


390  .INTERIOR  DECORATION 

THE  PEACTICALITY  OF  INTERNATIONAL  FURNISHING  TO-DAY 

While,  naturally,  original  pieces  of  furniture  of  the 
highest  type  or  even  of  lesser  elegance  are  beyond  the 
reach  of  all  but  the  wealthy,  it  is  encouraging  that  good 
reproductions  are  being  made.  "Adaptations"  are 
still  more  frequent  than  faithful  reproductions,  but  the 
latter  can  be  secured  of  good  English  and  Italian  forms, 
some  French  and  Spanish  may  be  obtained,  and  more 
will  doubtless  be  placed  upon  the  market  as  manufac- 
turers perceive  the  demand.  It  is  also  to  be  hoped  and 
expected  that  the  practice  of  adapting  will  die  out  with 
the  advance  of  knowledge  on  the  part  of  buyers,  their 
insistence  upon  authentic  styles,  and  their  refusal  to 
accept  the  vagaries  of  commercial  present-day  de- 
signers in  lieu  of  the  forms  and  proportions  provided 
by  the  masters  of  the  past.  It  may  here  be  mentioned 
that  international  furnishing  in  the  eighteenth  century 
•periods  is  less  expensive  than  Eenaissance  furnishing 
or  that  of  other  early  epochs. 

CHARACTERISTICS  OF  THE  RENAISSANCE 

The  adaptability  of  Renaissance  furnishing  to  our 
uses  to-day  may  be  gathered  from  its  main  character- 
istics. Perhaps  its  most  outstanding  qualities  are  spa- 
ciousness, dignity,  formality  and  richness.  Its  earlier 
manifestations  were  marked  by  more  simplicity  and  its 
later  by  increasing  magnificence — which  should  be 
noted  by  those  who  are  considering  its  use.  That  its 
qualities  are  not  inconsistent  with  home  feeling  to-day 
is  shown  in  all  three  of  the  modern  examples  referred 
to  in  this  chapter. 

That  this  style  is  not  adapted  to  modest  houses  with 
small  rooms,  or  to  larger  ones  where  the  occupants  lead 
a  happy-go-lucky  or  merely  frivolous  existence  is  self- 


THE  RENAISSANCE  391 

evident.  It  implies  a  certain  amenity  of  life,  a  certain 
degree  of  self-respect,  culture  and  appreciation.  It  is 
well  suited  to  spacious  apartments,  particularly  of  the 
duplex  variety,  and  to  studios.  If  the  rooms  are  fairly 
large,  even  though  few,  it  would  be  admirably  suited  to 
the  apartment  of  a  family  of  scholarly  or  artistic  at- 
tainments, because  it  would  fit  into  their  natural  mode 
of  life. 

THE  INTEE  PERIOD  ELEMENT 

The  international  (horizontal)  phase  of  this  system 
has  now  been  considered,  and  we  have  seen  how  fully 
the  furnishings  of  all  the  nations  under  Eenaissance 
influence  may  be  used  together.  We  must  now  take  up 
the  inter  period  (perpendicular)  element  and  learn  to 
what  degree  the  interiors  and  furnishings  of  the  suc- 
ceeding movement  may  be  combined  with  those  of  the 
Kenaissance. 

This  next  influence  is  the  Baroque.  As  the  Renais- 
sance did  not  utterly  rout  the  Gothic,  so  the  Baroque 
in  its  turn  did  not  put  to  flight  the  Eenaissance,  but 
grafted  itself  upon  it.  Most  curious  and  interesting 
is  the  manner  in  which  a  new  artistic  impulse,  totally 
different  in  spirit  from  the  old  though  it  be,  yet  amal- 
gamates itself  with  it  to  the  production  of  a  result  not 
chaotic  but  still  beautiful.  The  Baroque  movement 
has  been  unduly  condemned.  Though  erratic  and  dis- 
proportioned  in  its  most  extravagant  phases,  many  of 
its  developments  are  interesting  and  of  permanent 
artistic  value. 


THE  ROMANTIC  SPIRIT.  ARCHITECTURAL  BACKGROUND.  THE 
ASSOCIATION  OF  FURNITURE  OF  VARIOUS  PERIODS.  THE 
FURNITURE  OF  THE  BAROQUE  EPOCH  AND  ITS  EMPLOY- 
MENT. PRESENT-DAY  USE  OF  THE  BAROQUE 

THE  ROMANTIC  SPIRIT 

NOT  yet  does  it  seem  to  be  understood  by  many 
that  the  spirit  which  is  contrary  to  the  Classic 
in  interior  decoration  is  the  same  which 
opposes  it  in  the  other  arts :  consequently  we  hear  much 
of  Baroque,  Eococo,  Art  Nouveau  and  the  "  Newer 
Decoration"  while  feeling  sure  it  is  not  generally  real- 
ised they  are  all  recrudescences  of  the  Komantic  spirit. 
The  failure  to  recognise  this  has  been  responsible  for 
much  narrowness  of  view. 

These  two  great  informing  influences — the  Classic 
and  the  Komantic — which  affect  literature  and  the 
other  arts — likewise  move  through  the  course  of  in- 
terior decoration  and  act  as  alternate  inspirations. 
These  often  blend,  and  indeed  since  the  beginnings  of 
modern  art  (as  distinguished  from  mediaeval)  have  sel- 
dom been  entirely  separate;  but  one  or  the  other  is 
nearly  always  dominant. 

The  Classic  ideal  is  that  of  "order,"  of  restraint, 
and  is  usually  accompanied  by  dignified  colour:  the 
Romantic  is  emotional,  free,  frets  and  champs  at  re- 
straint, resents  the  rule  of  precedent  and  naturally  re- 
joices in  exuberant  colour. 

We  shall  continually  see  the  manifestations  of  both, 
and  have  not  long  to  wait ;  for  here,  almost  at  the  be- 

392 


THE  BAROQUE  SEVENTEENTH  CENTURY  393 

ginnings  of  modern  decoration,  the  Renaissance  move- 
ment, dominantly  Classic  though  infiltrated  with  many 
romantic  features,  was  interrupted,  we  might  almost 
say  set  upon,  by  the  contrary  influence.  Like  the  pre- 
ceding movement,  the  Baroque  arose  in  Southern  Eu- 
rope, and  with  -greater  or  less  force  swept  over  the  Con- 
tinent and  England. 

A  natural  question  to  any  enquiring  mind  is  why 
such  changes  occur  and  why  new  movements  arise.  We 
shall  always  find  the  answer  in  natural  causes,  and 
learn  that  they  are  in  the  direction  of  development  or 
reaction — sometimes  partaking  of  both,  as  does  the 
one  we  are  now  to  consider. 

The  Renaissance  began  with  the  classic  inspiration 
of  order  and  dignity.  To  this  was  added  state  and  mag- 
nificence. Interior  architecture  and  furnishing  became, 
through  political  and  social  changes,  increasingly  or- 
nate, till  the  original  inspiration  was  forgotten  or  ig- 
nored; till  the  desire  for  display  could  no  longer  be 
satisfied  by  the  capabilities  of  the  classic,  aided,  though 
it  was,  by  features  unknown  to  Greece  and  Rome,  and 
so  naturally  burst  its  bonds  and  overflowed  into  the 
romantic,  curvilinear,  redundant  and  often  ill-bal- 
anced Baroque.  Impatience  of  the  restrictions  of  the 
Renaissance  doubtless  also  aided  in  developing  a  reac- 
tion from  its  principles. 

Although  much  of  the  rectilinear  persisted  in  the 
Baroque,  its  characteristic  is  the  curve.  But  when, 
later,  we  arrive  at  the  succeeding  period — the  Rococo— 
we  shall  find  that  its  characteristic  also  is  the  curvi- 
linear, and  to  a  still  greater  degree — what,  therefore, 
are  the  outstanding  features  by  which  we  shall  recog- 
nise the  Baroque? 

They  will  become  still  more  evident  when  we  com- 
pare it  with  the  Rococo,  but  as  "  seeing  is  believing, "  let 


394  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

us  look  for  a  moment  at  its  extreme  manifestation  in 
the  cut  of  the  diminutive  Spanish  chair  illustrated  in 
Plate  136  A. 

In  the  first  place,  it  rather  increased  the  weight  and 
retained  the  impressiveness  of  the  Benaissance,  though 
different  in  its  forms,  and  the  constructional  material 
remained  largely  oak  and  walnut.  In  the  second,  while 
all  sorts  of  curves  were  in  use  in  the  Baroque  period 
an  analysis  seems  to  show  the  "broken  curve,"  often 
called  the  Flemish  scroll,  the  C  curve  and  the  cartouche 
to  be  its  most  prominent  decorative  motifs.  In  furni- 
ture, where  symptoms  are  always  the  most  marked,  all 
its  curves  were  marked  by  roundness  of  the  edges,  as  is 
appropriate  to  their  weight,  and  they  were  what  we 
might  denominate  stopped  curves,  being  usually  closed 
at  the  ends  by  a  whorled  termination.  They  were  not 
free  and  flowing — there  is  a  ponderous  tightness  about 
them  all.  The  shell  was  much  used  as  an  ornament. 

Its  interior  architecture  was  marked  in  its  use  of 
pilasters,  pillars,  broken  entablatures  and  ornament 
without  due  regard  to  construction  and  an  often 
clumsy  heaviness  in  mouldings  and  details. 

In  order  to  arrive  at  the  practical  use  and  applica- 
tion of  the  Baroque  interior  and  furnishing  to-day  these 
will  now  be  taken  up  in  both  their  international  and 
inter  period  relations. 

AKCHITECTUBAL  BACKGROUND 

Typical  illustrations  are  given  of  interiors  of  the 
various  nations  under  Baroque  influence.  So  vastly  do 
the  characteristics  of  the  fixed  background  of  England 
differ  from  the  others,  and  such  an  interesting  condi- 
tion then  prevailed,  that  this  may  be  given  first 
consideration. 


PLATE  136 


A.     DIMINUTIVE     SPANISH 

CHAIR,    19   INCHES  HIGH 

Showing  what  the  Baroque  could 

do  when  it  ran  wild 


Charles  of  London,  Dei-orators,  New  York 

B.    THE    ENGLISH     RENAISSANCE     INTERIOR    ARCHITECTURE  WHICH 

PERSISTED  TO  SOME  EXTENT  INTO  BAROQUE  TIMES 

Renaissance  Buffet  and  Baroque  Seating-furniture 

Courtesy  of  Mrs.  Lyiiian  Kendall 


PLATE   137 


PLATE  138 


§>« 


ns 


S   33 

X 


PLATE   139 


THE  BAROQUE  SEVENTEENTH  CENTURY  395 

England :  Though  there  had  been  some  earlier  mani- 
festations of  Baroque  tendencies,  the  restoration  of 
Charles  II,  the  ensuing  gaiety,  love  of  display  and  com- 
mercial enterprise  let  loose  this  and  all  other  foreign 
fashions.  But  at  the  same  time  the  Classic  leanings  of 
the  great  architects,  Wren  and  Inigo  Jones,  and  the 
example  of  their  work,  held  in  check  these  tendencies 
so  far  as  architecture — exterior  and  interior — was  con- 
cerned. Contemporaneously  with  this,  the  previous 
Renaissance  style  still  persisted  (Plate  136  B).  Not- 
withstanding these  architectural  influences  the  Baroque 
movement  was  not  restrained  in  the  direction  of  mov- 
able furniture,  and  we  therefore  have  the  unusual  com- 
bination of  a  Classical  or  nearly  Classical  background 
in  Baroque  times  accompanied  by  furniture  often  very 
Baroque  indeed. 

This  furniture  will  be  treated  in  a  following  section 
and  all  the  details  of  the  changes  in  interior  architec- 
ture will  be  found  in  Part  I,  Chapter  I. 

France:  Across  the  channel  the  Baroque  influence 
came  in  with  the  reign  of  Henri  IV  (1589)  and  persisted 
till  the  death  of  Louis  XIV  in  1715. 

Beyond  the  ability  and  taste  always  instinctive  in 
the  French,  even  during  the  vagaries  of  certain  periods, 
no  restraint  was  there  laid  upon  Baroque  tendencies 
during  the  earlier  reigns  of  this  epoch  (Plate  30  A), 
but,  as  we  shall  see,  during  the  times  of  Louis  XIV  a 
marked  change  of  direction  became  manifest  (Plates 
34  and  138). 

Because  of  the  faults  already  mentioned  the  back- 
grounds of  this  epoch  are  not  particularly  desirable  for 
our  houses  to-day,  and,  notwithstanding  the  restraint 
of  the  latter  period,  the  heavy  magnificence  of  the  style 
of  Louis  XIV  unfits  it  for  anything  else  than  buildings 
of  palatial  proportions  and  hotels,  for  which  it  has  fre- 


396  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

quently  been  used.  Even  for  these  we  may  prefer  less 
grandiose  styles,  but  justice  must  be  done  the  remark- 
able work  accomplished  during  the  reign  of  the  most 
famous  king  of  France. 

After  the  regency  of  his  mother,  Anne  of  Austria, 
he  assumed  the  reins  of  government  in  1661.  By  1684 
he  had  so  humbled  the  power  of  the  nobles  and  assem- 
blies that  his  power  was  practically  absolute.  At  court 
the  utmost  splendour  was  maintained,  and  a  ceremonial 
pompous  and  burdensome  to  a  degree.  In  literature 
it  was  the  Augustan  Age  in  France,  the  age  of  Corneille 
and  Racine,  Moliere,  Boileau,  Fenelon,  Bossuet  and 
Bourdillon.  Under  his  talented  minister,  Colbert,  all 
the  arts  received  the  most  liberal  encouragement,  work- 
men being  regularly  employed  by  the  Crown. 

A  pruning  hand  was  laid  upon  the  excrescences  of 
the  Baroque,  and  what  remained  was  combined  with  a 
structure  largely  Renaissance,  the  result  being  an  amal- 
gamation rightly  designated  as  "the  grand  manner." 
To  sum  it  in  a  phrase :  the  style  of  Louis  Quatorze  was 
the  effect  of  the  spirit  of  Classicism  working  with  ma- 
terial Renaissance  and  Baroque  (Plates  34-36  and  138). 

But  the  latter  part  of  the  reign  of  "Le  Grand 
Monarque"  was  marked  by  disastrous  wars,  conse- 
quent exorbitant  taxation,  the  resentment  of  his  sub- 
jects ;  and,  leaving  an  almost  ruined  country,  detested 
and  unmourned,  in  1715  he  sank  into  his  grave. 

Italy:  Here  the  Baroque  impulse  found  its  way  to 
some  extent  into  the  details  of  interior  architecture — 
cornices,  cartouches  and  carving,  mouldings  and  man- 
tels; but  the  Classic  construction  generally  remained. 
Its  most  evident  effect  was  increasing  magnificence 
(Plate  139).  With  tesselated  floors,  carved  mantels 
and  doors,  every  inch  of  the  walls  and  ceilings  often 


THE  BAROQUE  SEVENTEENTH  CENTURY  397 

decorated  in  full  colour  and  gold,  or  walls  encrusted  in 
marbles;  with  furniture  gloriously  carved  and  some 
pieces  painted  and  gilded ;  textiles  of  full  bodied  colour, 
often  enhanced  with  applique  or  needlework;  sculpture 
and  Oriental  porcelains;  accessories  of  every  descrip*- 
tion — with  all  these  it  is  marvellous  that  dignity  and 
repose  were  at  all  preserved.  Yet  this  decoration  was 
successful!  Two  requisites  remained — spaciousness 
and  artistic  knowledge. 

Spain:  In  conservative  Spain  the  walls  remained 
much  as  they  were  under  the  Renaissance,  though  the 
tiling  or  painting  may  have  grown  even  more  colourful. 
But  the  writers  would  particularly  direct  the  atten-" 
tion  of  wealthy  connoisseurs  and  their  decorators  to 
Spain  as  a  source  of  interesting  elements  varied  from 
those  of  countries  decoratively  better  known.  If  the 
upper  walls  were  plain,  that  plainness  was  redeemed  to 
the  last  degree  by  the  textiles  which  hung  thereon. 
These  were  of  the  utmost  profusion  and  of  all  known 
materials,  light  and  heavy.  Such  colourings  as  crim- 
son and  brilliant  green  were  relieved  by  gold.  Armo- 
rial bearings  were  frequent  motifs,  with  all  their  oppor- 
tunity for  richness  of  colour  and  interest  of  detail. 

The  leather  work  of  Spain — stamped,  engraved  and 
coloured,  and  with  silver  or  with  gold — was  particu- 
larly characteristic  and  famous.  Porcelains,  tiles,  pot- 
tery, glass  and  smithwork  will  afford  the  discriminating 
collector  of  to-day  unending  delight.  The  wonderfully 
decorative  chests  and  cabinets  of  Spain  appeal  to  all 
lovers  of  the  unusual  and  beautiful. 

The  Italian  "domino"  paper  in  small  sections  was 
sometimes  applied  to  walls  through  most  of  southern 
Europe. 


398  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

THE  ASSOCIATION  OF  FURNITURE  OF  VARIOUS  PERIODS 

A  varied  selection  of  the  furniture  evolved  in  the 
various  countries  under  Baroque  influence  is  given  in 
these  pages  and  will  be  discussed  in  relation  to  their 
practical  use  in  our  present-day  interiors  with  each 
other  and  in  connexion  with  furniture  of  the  preceding 
Eenaissance  movement.  We  shall  also  naturally  wish 
to  know  whether  under  this  system  of  International- 
Interperiod  Decoration  the  combination  may  be  ex- 
tended still  further  and  successive  periods  also  be  em- 
braced with  the  two  so  far  discussed. 

It  is  the  aim  of  these  chapters  not  to  lay  down  dec- 
orative dicta  but  to  work  out  with  the  reader  the  prob- 
lems that  arise,  all  deductions  being  made  from  the 
existing  facts.  Clearheadedness  is  also  such  a  desid- 
eratum that  when  we  speak  of  the  use  of  various  pieces 
together  we  should  stop  and  ask  ourselves  in  each  in- 
stance what  we  mean  by  " together" — directly  adjoin- 
ing, in  the  same  room,  or  in  the  same  house  or 
apartment1? 

It  is  quickly  evident  that  pieces  of  furniture  placed 
side  by  side  among  the  few  furnishings  of  a  small  room 
might  disagree,  whereas  they  would  only  add  a  desir- 
able variety  in  a  very  spacious  room ;  also,  that  furni- 
ture of  more  decided  differences  might  without  incom- 
patibility be  employed  in  the  various  rooms  of  one 
residence. 

We  should  also  ask:  What  are  the  qualities  that 
would  prevent  our  using  various  pieces  together? — in 
any  of  the  above  degrees. 

It  is  again  plain  that  the  mere  fact,  per  se,  of  one 
piece  belonging  to  one  era  and  another  to  a  different 
one,  forms  no  obstacle  to  their  being  combined  in  use ; 
it  is  the  characteristics  belonging  to  the  particular 


THE  BAROQUE  SEVENTEENTH  CENTURY  399 

periods,  and  of  which  those  pieces  are  examples,  that 
render  them  reconcilable  or  irreconcilable. 

If  one  were  to  ask  in  what  directions  great  differ- 
ences should  be  avoided,  the  quick  reply  would  almost 
invariably  be :  in  form,  size  and  colour.  These  are,  of 
course,  fundamental,  but,  as  we  shall  see,  quite  as 
noticeable  are  discrepancies  in  texture,  finish,  degrees 
of  impressiveness  or  elegance  and  the  upholstery 
employed. 

Let  us  then  take  up  these  characteristics  or  qual- 
ities at  once,  for  they  will  show  us  what  to  look  for  in 
considering  furniture,  not  only  in  these  two  epochs  but 
in  others  as  well.  We  shall  also  find  that  differences  in 
one  or  two  respects,  where  not  vital,  may  be  sufficiently 
balanced  by  likeness  in  others  to  permit  an  association 
of  the  pieces. 

Form :  Decided  difference  in  form  is  indication  of  a 
difference  in  spirit.  Yet  we  have  seen  that  the  Baroque 
grew  out  of  the  Renaissance  and  amalgamated  itself 
with  it  to  a  workable  extent.  There  was  not  a  total 
variance  of  spirit  and  manifestation  between  the  late 
Renaissance  and  the  Baroque — both  were  massive  and 
handsome — and  the  difference  between  them,  though 
great,  was  therefore  not  irreconcilable  and  fatal.  So 
far,  therefore,  as  contour  goes,  we  may  ask  what  furni- 
ture designed  over  all  cultured  Europe  during  the  more 
than  two  hundred  years  preceding  1715  may  be  used 
together? 

If  our  ideal  is  the  formal  one,  then  we  had  better 
confine  ourselves  to  the  Renaissance  together  with  those 
forms  of  the  Baroque  that  are  dignified  and,  though 
more  ornamental,  preserve  the  weight  and  impressive- 
ness  of  the  Renaissance.  Such  a  combination  is  shown 
in  the  dining-room  illustrated  in  Plate  136  and  in  the 
other  view  of  the  same  room  shown  in  Plate  3. 


400  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

If  our  ideal  is  more  flexible,  then  we  may  be  more 
liberal  in  our  choice,  especially  in  different  rooms.  In 
a  hall  we  may  lean  to  the  formal.  We  may  also  do  so 
in  the  drawing-  or  dining-room,  but  we  should  make 
them  much  more  delightful  by  the  use  of  greater  va- 
riety. The  private  rooms  may  contain  the  smaller, 
lighter  and  more  informal  pieces  of  the  times. 

On  considering  whether  the  contours  of  the  suc- 
ceeding epochs  are  so  radically  different  as  to  prevent 
their  being  used  with  the  furniture  of  these  two  influ- 
ences we  shall  find,  when  in  turn  we  take  them  up,  that 
in  general  they  are.  Some  such  combinations  are,  how- 
ever, permissible,  because,  if  judgment  be  used  as  re- 
gards form,  differences  may  be  reconciled  by  careful- 
ness in  other  respects. 

Size  and  Weight :  These  are  two  qualities,  but  usu- 
ally go  together.  A  large  piece  of  furniture  may,  of 
course,  be  slender  in  its  members  but  is  usually  only 
comparatively  so.  As  we  have  seen,  agreement  in  these 
respects  is  a  strongly  uniting  influence  and  will  often 
partially  balance  other  discrepancies. 

On  the  other  hand,  great  variations  in  size  and 
weight  between  the  furniture  of  two  periods  render 
these  pieces  generally  irreconcilable.  Both  Renais- 
sance and  late  eighteenth  century  furniture  were  based 
upon  Classic  ideals,  yet  size  and  weight,  with  other 
qualities,  usually  differentiate  them  too  radically  to 
accompany  each  other  to  good  effect. 

Colour :  Old  oak  and  walnut  go  sufficiently  well  to- 
gether in  tone.  Mahogany  was  not  generally  used  till 
about  1720.  The  reddish  tone  now  so  frequently  seen 
does  not  at  all  well  accompany  oak :  the  brownish  shade 
is  much  better.  The  tone  of  satinwood  would  be  agree- 
able with  oak,  but  the  lightness  of  the  contours  in  which 
it  was  used  are  totally  at  variance  with  those  of  oak 


THE  BAROQUE  SEVENTEENTH  CENTURY  401 

furniture.     The  matter  of  colour  is,  however,  bound 
up  with  the  qualities  still  to  be  considered. 

Texture,  Finish  and  Elegance:  An  English  oaken 
Renaissance  chair  is  foreign  to  a  Hepplewhite  mahog- 
any chair  in  form,  size  and  colour,  but,  in  addition,  we 
strongly  feel  the  great  difference  between  the  open, 
coarse  grain,  dull  finish  and  ponderous  handsomeness 
of  the  one  and  the  fine  and  close  texture,  the  reflective 
surface  and  the  light  elegance  of  the  other. 

In  the  days  when  oak  and  walnut  were  the  woods 
commonly  employed  for  furniture  they  were  in  a  dull 
finish.  Mahogany,  left  in  its  natural  state  (unreddened 
by  permanganate  of  potash)  or  in  the  brownish  tone, 
and  dully  finished  with  wax,  would  not  greatly  conflict 
with  oak,  but  the  age  of  mahogany  was  different  in 
spirit  from  that  of  oak  and  there  is  seldom  occasion  for 
this  close  use. 

Marqueterie  and  lacquered  furniture,  where  appro- 
priate in  spirit,  may  always  be  used. 

Upholstery:  In  seating  furniture  the  textile  cover- 
ing it  is  often  the  most  noticeable  feature.  It  is  plain, 
therefore,  what  a  unifying  or  diversifying  part  it  may 
play.  In  the  Renaissance  period  furniture  was  covered 
with  heavy  velvet  or  brocade  in  full-bodied  colourings 
—crimsons,  blues  and  greens  being  favourites — and 
often  relieved  with  weighty  gold  galons.  In  the  reign 
of  Louis  Seize  coverings  were  of  light-weight  silks  in 
exquisite  pastel  and  greyed  colours.  These  extremes 
are  mentioned  merely  to  show  how  the  use  together  of 
furniture  covered  in  styles  so  diverse  would  render  such 
pieces  incongruous  irrespective  of  the  furniture  itself. 
On  the  other  hand,  the  same  upholstery  employed  on 
chairs  and  settees  of  rather  varying  character  will  pull 
them  together  in  effect;  and  handsome  covering  will 
do  much  to  enhance  the  impressiveness  of  pieces  not 
26 


402  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

otherwise  particularly  notable.  The  chair  shown  in 
Plate  145  C,  for  instance,  is  rather  simple,  but  is  ren- 
dered elegant  by  its  elaborate  embroidery  and  fringe. 

THE  FUENITUBE  OF  THE  BAROQUE  EPOCH  AND  ITS 
EMPLOYMENT 

A  volume  would  be  required  to  describe  and  picture 
all  the  types  of  furniture  of  the  Baroque  age,  bound 
up  as  it  is  with  the  political  and  religious  history  of 
the  times  and  the  action  and  reaction  of  country  upon 
country.  Because  of  this  intercourse — often  frictional 
enough — we  constantly  find  the  general  forms  of  one 
country  echoed  in  one  or  more  of  the  others,  but  al- 
ways with  those  national  differences  that  have  been 
mentioned. 

In  all  practical  furnishing  there  are  four  points  to 
be  remembered  as  a  basis : 

I.  Unity  and  variety  should  both  be  secured — the 
first  to  avoid  confusion,  and  the  second  to  preclude 
monotony  by  the  providing  of  interest. 

II.  The  unit  to  be  considered  is  the  house  or  apart- 
ment— not  the  single  room. 

III.  That  there  are  degrees  in  all  things;  and  that 
a  closer  degree  of  unity  is  necessary  in  the  single  room 
than  in  the  house  as  a  whole,  especially  if  the  room 
be  not  spacious. 

IV.  That  a  sliding  scale  may  be  used  in  the  various 
rooms,  providing  that  a  satisfying  effect  of  unity  is 
secured  throughout. 

In  what  shall  that  sliding  scale  consist?  So  far  as 
the  two  epochs  discussed  go,  the  writers  cannot  think 
of  a  better  word  than  impressiveness.  The  word  for- 
mality does  not  always  hit  the  mark  here,  for  a  piece 
of  furniture  may  be  very  formal  in  its  lines  and  yet  be 
quite  simple;  nor  does  handsome  cover  it,  for  a  bed- 


PLATE   140 


THE  BAROQUE  SEVENTEENTH  CENTURY  403 

room  chair  may  be  handsome  and  yet  not  particularly 
impressive. 

An  example  will  make  the  idea  clear :  The  two  Re- 
naissance chairs  accompanying  the  credenza  and  can- 
delabra illustrated  in  Plate  89  B  are  comparatively 
simple  but  impressive.  The  typical  Queen  Anne  chair, 
with  which  we  are  all  familiar,  is  Dutch  and  comfort- 
able ;  and,  notwithstanding  other  admirable  qualities,  is 
unimpressive.  If  we  use  one  in  a  room  we  should  not 
use  the  other. 

We  now  arrive  at  the  main  point — we  shall  find  our- 
selves able  to  employ  in  a  single  room  both  compar- 
atively simple  and  comparatively  ornate  pieces 
(whether  Renaissance  or  Baroque,  or  both  together) 
provided  the  same  degree  of  impressiveness  exists  in 
each,  and  provided  we  do  not  jumble  them.  We  find 
this  constantly  illustrated  in  original  interiors  of  the 
Renaissance  and  elsewhere.  The  wall  furniture  may 
be  simple,  but  a  table  set  out  on  the  -floor  may  have  a 
handsomely  scrolled  and  carved  base  (Plate  139),  or  a 
chest  may  be  elaborate  and  its  flanking  chairs  simple, 
each  having  its  share  of  general  impressiveness.  In 
less  formal  and  more  intimate  rooms  that  general  de- 
gree may  be  less,  and  so  the  scale  in  the  various  rooms 
may  be  a  sliding  one. 

The  furniture  illustrated  is  decidedly  various  in 
character  and  will  enable  us  to  consider  combinations 
suggestive  to  the  decorator,  dealer  or  householder.  In 
considering  these  illustrations  we  shall  see  that  this 
furniture  falls,  naturally,  into  groups. 

Having  now  arrived  at  the  point  where  the  inter 
period  element  of  this  plan  of  decoration  may  be  exem- 
plified, it  will  be  most  interesting  first  to  take  up  Ba- 
roque pieces  which  will  properly  accompany  furniture 
of  the  preceding  Renaissance  age. 


404  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

Plate  141 B  shows  a  fine  Italian  carved  armoire  in 
developed  Baroque  style  and  with  a  pediment  fully  il- 
lustrating its  tendencies.  Yet  this  handsome  piece  of 
furniture  is  of  great  dignity  and  would  not  only  well  ac- 
company the  more  massive  mobiliary  forms  of  Renais- 
sance  provenance  but  would  lend  distinct  variety  and 
interest. 

One  so  fortunate  as  to  secure  a  piece  of  furniture 
resembling  the  wonderfully  decorative  French  cab- 
inet (Plate  142  A)-  with  panels  and  diagonal  marquet- 
erie,  certainly  does  not  need  to  hesitate  to  use  it  in 
the  same  room  with  one  of  the  equally  decorative  Ital- 
ian painted  and  gilded  cassoni,  though,  because  of  their 
differences,  he  would  not  place  them  in  close  proximity. 
Each  might  well  form  a  "centre  of  interest." 

The  two  cabinets,  on  either  side  of  the  dais,  in  the 
Portuguese  interior  (Plate  140)  are  quite  of  a  char- 
acter to  go  with  Renaissance  furniture.  The  one  on 
the  right  is  pronouncedly  Baroque  in  its  support  and 
scrollwork,  but  is  rectangular  and  impressive,  while 
at  the  same  time  presenting  decorative  qualities  of  a 
different  order  from  that  of  other  nationalities.  The 
table  in  the  same  room  is  also  excellent. 

Two  Italian  tables  are  shown  in  Plate  147  A  and  B ; 
one  of  these  early  Baroque  and  still  rectangular  in  its 
constructional  lines  and  the  other  of  developed  style. 
Both  would,  however,  look  well  in  a  Renaissance  room 
even  in  close  proximity. 

In  Plate  144  a  group  is  shown  of  an  Italian  cab- 
inet with  a  pair  of  candlesticks,  backed  by  a  tapestry, 
and  two  chairs.  Instead  of  the  formal  Renaissance 
chair  usually  found  in  such  company,  the  owner  has 
here  placed  two  of  Baroque  type  with  scroll  arm,  waved 
stretcher  and  goat  feet,  and,  notwithstanding  the  varia- 
tion in  type,  the  result  is  pleasing.  A  pair  of  the  Louis 


PLATE  141 


PLATE  142 


A.   French   Baroque  Arm 

Chair 
Radillo-Pelitti  Co. 


•B.  Louis  XIV  Arm  Chair 
-    in  Genoese  Velvet 
Metropolitan  Museum 


C.  Louis  XIV  Ornamental  Table  with  Eight  Legs  and  Stretcher 
Exhibited  at  the  Brooklyn  Museum 


D.  William  and  Mary  Seaweed  Marqueterie  High  Cabinet 
By   Courtesy   of   the    Metropolitan    Museum   of  Art 


FRENCH  AND  ENGLISH  FURNITURE,  BAROQUE  EPOCH 


PLATE  144 


AN  ITALIAN  RENAISSANCE  CREDENZA  ACCOMPANIED  BY 

BAROQUE  CHAIRS 
The  Wall  is  Sand  Finished,  the  Window  Trim  of  Blue  Tile  and  the  Floor  of 

Biscuit-Coloured  Tile 
By  Courtesy  of  George  Howe,  Esq. 


THE  BAROQUE  SEVENTEENTH  CENTURY  405 

Quatorzc  chairs  in  Genoese  velvet  (Plate  143  B)  would 
go  equally  well  here,  because  of  general  impressiveness 
and  formal  character.  The  cabinet  is  Eenaissance  and 
this  chair  the  latest  phase  of  Baroque,  when  under  the 
Grand  Monarch  the  Classic  spirit  regained  a  certain 
degree  of  ascendancy. 

A  remarkably  good  chair  in  such  a  situation  would 
be  the  Portuguese  Baroque  chair  with  spiral  members 
(Plate  149  B) .  Its  generally  rectangular  lines,  brocade 
upholstery  and  quiet  dignity  fit  it  for  the  neighbour- 
hood of  most  Renaissance  pieces  and  other  Baroque 
furniture  of  like  character,  while  its  back  is  at  once 
noticeable  because  of  its  difference  from  the  usual 
forms  of  other  countries. 

Plate  145  is  occupied  by  a  group  of  six  different 
chairs,  Italian  and  English,  of  ornate  Baroque  char- 
acter. Yet  these  chairs  are  dignified  and  impressive  in 
character  and  of  these,  too,  we  may  say  they  would  by 
no  means  be  out  of  place  in  a  room  with  Renaissance 
forms  of  generally  ornamental  type. 

We  have  only  to  consider  these  English  chairs  and 
the  Classicism  of  the  contemporary  English  back- 
grounds illustrated  to  see  how  far  apart  architecture 
and  furniture  in  this  age  could  be  in  that  country.* 

We  may  now  take  up  types  of  Baroque  furniture 
which  do  not  properly  accompany  Renaissance  forms. 
The  Armoire  (Plate  141  A)  is  illustrated  to  show  the 
work  of  Boulle,  the  most  famous  ebeniste  of  all  time. 
Pieces  such  as  this  do  not  find  their  counterpart  in  those 
of  other  nations  and  so  are  best  accompanied  by  con- 
temporary (Louis  XIV)  furniture  such  as  the  chair 
and  table  on  Plate  143  B  and  C.  They  are,  however, 
practically  unprocurable  and  any  wealthy  connoisseur 

*  For  British  furniture  of  all  epochs,  see  "  The  Practical  Book  of 
Period  Furniture,"  by  FJberlein  and  McClure. 


406  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

possessed  of  such  examples  would  probably  own  mu- 
seum pieces  of  other  nationalities  with  which  they 
might  (notwithstanding  differences)  be  placed  in  such  a 
residence.  Eeproductions  are  made  of  the  fine  furni- 
ture of  this  and  the  succeeding  reigns,  but  their  cost  is 
necessarily  great. 

While  the  chair  and  table  just  referred  to  are  dis- 
tinctly ornamental,  it  will  be  seen  that  they  go  excel- 
lently well  with  the  handsome  contemporary  marquet- 
erie  cabinet  of  "William  and  Mary  on  the  same  plate 
(Plate  143  D).  The  three  are  all  dignified,  and  the 
resemblance  of  the  French  and  English  pieces  is  illumi- 
nating to  the  student  of  international  furnishing:  yet 
differences  exist  throughout  and  it  will  be  observed 
that  the  three  pieces  of  furniture  exhibit  as  many 
types  of  stretcher.  These  pieces  are  all  of  the  latter 
part  of  the  Baroque  epoch  when  classic  feeling  had  re- 
gained its  ascendancy.  Earlier  French  furniture  of 
formal  character  will  be  seen  in  Plate  30  A  and  B. 

The  Baroque  age  provides  many  more  intimate  and 
homelike  forms  than  the  preceding  era  and  these  are 
exemplified  by  the  William  and  Mary  and  Queen  Anne 
furniture  of  England  and  analogous  pieces  in  other 
lands. 

The  Italian  red  lacquer  armoire  (Plate  142  B)  and 
the  French  and  Venetian  escritoires  on  Plate  146  are 
fine  specimens  of  Continental  work,  while  two  beauti- 
ful chests  of  drawers  are  exhibited  in  Plate  147  C  and 
D.  The  seating-furniture  is  also  of  great  interest.  The 
form  of  chair  usually  designated  as  William  and  Mary 
really  originated  in  Portugal  and  a  Spanish  example 
is  shown  to  the  left  in  Plate  148  B.  The  chair  below  it 
shows  the  Chinese  influence  acquired  through  foreign 
commerce.  Those  at  the  top  of  the  plate  show  affinity 
with  the  earlier  Yorkshire  English  chairs.  The  Portu 


PLATE  145 


A.   Arm   Chair 
Cutpile  Velvet 


Radillo-Pelitti  Co 


B.    Chair  in 
Cutpile  Velvet 


C.    Venetian    Walnut   Chair 

in  Petit  Point  Embroidery 

with  silk-tasselled  Fringe 

American  Art  Galleries 


DIGNIFIED  ITALIAN  BAROQUE  CHAIRS 


D.  ORNATE  BUT  DIGNIFIED  ENGLISH  BAROQUE 
CHAIRS 

By  Courtesy  of  Radillo-Pelitti  Co. 


PLATE  146 


a  % 


3  ? 


re  -— •r* 

5  P  • 


E.  5- 


><    Co 

.oi_, 


PLATE  148 


A.  Crested-back  Chairs  of  Affinity  with  English  Yorkshire 

Chairs 
By  Courtesy  of  C.  M.  Traver  Co. 


B    Spanish  Walnut  Chairs  of  Following  Affinities 

William  and  Mary       Queen  Anne  Early  Queen  Anne 

By  Courtesy  of  C.  M.  Traver  Co. 


C  Painted  Chair 
Chinese  Influence 
Woodville  &  Co. 


D.  Walnut  Chair 

Queen  Anne  Affinity 

C.  M.  Traver  Co. 


THE  BAROQUE  SEVENTEENTH  CENTURY  407 

guese  chair  (Plate  149  A)  and  settee  (Plate  149  C)  are 
tine  and  desirable  pieces.  Spanish  Baroque  and  Ro- 
coco pieces  will  be  seen  in  Plate  25. 

Special  attention  is  called  to  the  two  chairs  Plate 
148  B  centre  and  D  because  they  parallel  a  group  of 
furniture  not  so  far  considered — the  plain  forms  of 
Queen  Anne-early  Georgian  with  the  phase  of  Chippen- 
dale derived  from  them,  with  which  these  chairs  are 
analogous.  This  furniture  is  Baroque  and  yet  it 
requires  some  special  consideration  apart  from  the 
rest,  for  it  is  a  group  having  no  parallel  in  France  and, 
indeed,  no  close  affiliation  with  the  furniture  of  Eng- 
land either  preceding  or  following  it. 

The  period  is  contemporary  with  the  last  years  of 
Louis  XIV  and  the  most  of  those  of  the  Rococo,  but 
how  wonderfully  different  its  furniture  is  from  the  mo- 
biliary  forms  of  the  same  years  in  France !  The  reason 
is  evident — during  the  reigns  of  William  and  Mary  and 
of  Queen  Anne  these  Dutch  forms  came  in  and  per- 
sisted during  the  two  following  Hanoverian  reigns. 
The  Dutch  influence  had,  of  course,  arrived  with  the 
accession  of  William  and  Mary,  but  the  earlier  con- 
tours of  that  period  were  different  from  those  of  Anne 
and  were  more  in  accord  with  other  Baroque  mobiliary 
forms. 

The  architectural  furniture  and  those  pieces  of 
cabinet-work  which  extended  to  the  floor  (without  legs) 
retained  a  fair  degree  of  dignity  and  impressiveness, 
though  simple,  and  the  ornately  carved  consoles  and 
chairs  were  sufficiently  ornamental  and  Baroque;  but 
the  plain  highboys,  chairs,  settees,  and  the  like,  with 
the  typical  plain  cabriole  leg  and  club  foot,  form  a 
genus  apart. 

Now,  what  shall  we  do  with  this  admirable,  home- 
like furniture?  It  seems  to  the  writers  that  in  houses 


408  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

not  stately,  classic  or  formal,  where  the  more  intimate 
forms  of  the  Baroque  epoch  are  employed,  that  these 
might  well  be  used  in  such  apartments  as  men's  rooms, 
bedrooms  and  living-rooms  without  undue  incongruity. 
Or,  a  house  might  be  very  delightfully  furnished 
with  this  furniture,  fine  Dutch  chests,  and  the  like,  some 
pieces  of  the  William  and  Mary  reign,  and  relieved  with 
Italian  and  Spanish  furniture  following  the  same  gen- 
eral lines.  Some  lacquered  furniture  should  be  used,  it 
being  a  specialty  of  her  reign.  The  southern  pieces 
were  often  painted  and  decorated.  The  Oriental  touch 
would  also  be  quite  in  order,  and  blue  and  white  porce- 
lain especially  appropriate.  With  such  resources  as 
these  a  charming  result  could  be  obtained.  The  latter 
part  of  the  period  introduced  the  use  of  mahogany,  but 
that  would  sufficiently  well  accompany  the  usual  walnut 
if  the  finish  were  the  same. 

PRESENT-DAY  USE  OF  THE  BAROQUE 

To  sum  up  our  investigations,  then,  we  have  seen 
that  the  English  fixed  background  of  this  epoch  is  home- 
like, whether  handsome  or  more  simple ;  that  the  very 
Baroque  manifestations  of  the  French  interior  are  in- 
teresting and  curious  rather  than  particularly  desirable 
for  use  to-day;  that  while  certain  Classic  tendencies 
asserted  themselves  in  the  reign  of  Louis  XIV  the  word 
best  describing  its  general  result  is  pompous;  that  the 
Italian  architectural  background  is  very  ornate  but 
generally  good,  and  is  therefore  suitable  for  those  who 
desire  such  houses ;  that  the  Spanish  interior  is  attrac- 
tive and  so  available  for  parts  of  America  where  Span- 
ish influences  prevailed  but  rather  alien  to  the  East  and 
Middle  West.  In  general,  therefore,  it  would  seem  best 
to  employ  the  English  background  or  one  of  the  simpler 
Renaissance  forms. 


PLATE   149 


*.    -< 


A.    Carved     Walnut 

Arm  Chair 
Queen  Anne  Affinity 
Mr.  Nicholas  Martin 


B.  Side  Chair  with  Back 
of  shaped  cresting  and 

Bottom 

Spiral  Members 
C.  M.  Traver  Co. 


C.  Walnut  Triple-back  Settee  with  Embossed  Leather 

Seat.    Queen  Anne  Affinity 
By  Courtesy  of  Mr.  Nicholas  Martin 


PORTUGUESE  BAROQUE  SEATING 
FURNITURE 


PLATE  150 


Elsie  ae  W  olfe,  Decorator 
DIXING-ROOM  WITH  COVED  CEILING:     LANDSCAPE  WALLS 
Eighteenth  Century  Italian  and  Spanish  Furniture,  Baroque  and  Neo  Classic 
Courtesy  of  "Good  Furniture  Magazine" 


THE  BAROQUE  SEVENTEENTH  CENTURY  409 

As  to  the  furniture,  it  was  observed  in  a  former 
chapter  that  unless  we  wish  a  museum  effect  the  more 
satisfying  result  will  be  obtained  if  the  furniture  of 
the  country  chosen  for  the  background  prevails,  being 
relieved  by  the  use  of  appropriate  and  interesting 
pieces  of  other  nationalities. 

We  should  not  show  taste  and  discrimination  by 
placing  together  the  rigidly  severe  furniture  of  the 
earliest  Renaissance  with  that  redolent  of  Baroque 
ornament ;  but  there  is  a  sliding  scale  between  the  two 
where  we  may  find  many  companionable  pieces. 

If  these  periods  have  been  fixed  upon  for  a  scheme 
of  decoration  we  should  decide  upon  the  general  degree 
of  handsomeness  to  be  observed.  There  should  not  be 
a  confusion  of  impressive  and  non-impressive  forms, 
though,  of  course,  there  may  be  a  piece  de  resistance  or 
two  with  usually  simple  furnishings  and  this  will  level 
up  the  general  effect. 

Doubtless  many  more  informal  and  homelike  pieces 
existed  in  the  homes  of  the  bourgeoisie  of  the  early 
days  we  have  been  considering  than  we  now  know  of ; 
they  have  likely  perished,  and  it  is  to  be  remembered 
that  it  is  usually  only  the  more  elaborate  forms  that  are 
preserved  in  the  stately  buildings  of  the  past  and  in 
museums,  books  and  pictures. 


CHAPTER  III 

THE  ROCOCO 

THE  BAROQUE  AND  THE  ROCOCO.  THE  AGE  AND  THE  STYLE 
OF  LOUIS  XV.  THE  ARCHITECTURAL  BACKGROUND.  SIMPLI- 
FIED BACKGROUNDS.  THE  FURNITURE  OP  THE  PERIOD. 
THE  PRACTICAL  EMPLOYMENT  OF  ROCOCO  FURNITURE. 
THE  ROCOCO  STYLE  AND  PRESENT-DAY  USE 

THE  BAROQUE  AND  THE  ROCOCO 

SOME  usually  careful  writers  refer  to  Baroque 
and  Rococo  almost  as  if  the  terms  were  inter- 
changeable. Both  are  the  fruit  of  the  great  Ro- 
mantic impulse,  and  the  latter  is  directly  successive  to 
the  former,  one  drifting  into  the  other.  The  present 
writers  wish,  however,  to  make  clear  that  the  differ- 
ence between  them  is  more  radical  than  has  yet  been 
pointed  out.  It  is  a  bit  startling — is  it  not? — to  say 
that  there  is  a  larger  divergence  between  these  two 
Romantic  developments  than  there  is  between  the 
Classic  Renaissance  and  the  Romantic  Baroque;  and 
yet  is  it  not  so?  "By  their  fruits  ye  shall  know  them" 
— do  not  pieces  of  Renaissance  and  Baroque  furniture 
accompany  each  other  better  than  pieces  of  Baroque 
and  Rococo  ?  Try  the  experiment  and  see :  for  we  are 
seeking  practical  results. 

We  have  already  found  that  notwithstanding  the 
difference  in  spirit  and  contour,  likeness  in  size  and 
weight,  material  and  its  colour,  finish  and  upholstery, 
may  all  unite  properly  chosen  pieces  of  Renaissance 
and  Baroque  furniture.  On  the  other  hand,  the  Rococo 
in  its  full  development  is  slender,  smaller,  lighter, 
graceful,  spirited  and  gay;  walnut  was  generally  used 

410 


THE  ROCOCO 

and  sometimes  oak,  but,  frequently,  these  pieces  were 
painted  or  enamelled  and  sometimes  gilt:  to  its  uphol- 
stery may  for  the  first  time  be  applied  the  word  exqui- 
site. Furthermore,  and  for  much  the  same  reason, 
Rococo  mobiliary  forms  do  not  well  accompany  those 
of  the  preceding  reign,  though  during  it  there  was  so 
great  a  departure  from  usual  Baroque  forms — theyv 
also  are  widely  different  in  spirit  and  effect.  In  the 
story  of  the  period  we  see  why  this  was  so. 

THE  AGE  AND  THE  STYLE  OF  LOUIS  XV 

The  Grand  Monarch  had  at  last  departed  this  life. 
His  rule  had  been  long  and  it  was  his  great  grandson, 
Louis  XV,  the  "Well  Beloved,"  who  succeeded  him. 
The  Duke  of  Orleans  acted  as  Regent  during  the  minor- 
ity of  the  King  (1715-1723)  and  an  immediate  reac- 
tion against  the  pompous  splendour  of  the  previous 
regime  ensued,  resulting  in  an  entire  change  in  feel- 
ing and  in  mode  of  life.  Freed  from  the  burdensome 
control  of  that  supreme  egoist  Louis  Quatorze,  the  lux- 
urious and  pleasure-loving  court  found  no  restraint  in 
the  dissolute  Regent  nor  in  the  young  King,  who  only 
eight  years  later  succeeded  him.  Tiresome  functions 
in  the  great  halls  of  Versailles  gave  way  to  the  inti- 
mate meetings  of  the  petit  cabinet.  It  was  an  age  of 
extreme  politeness  and  of  "  manners, "  but  also  of  fa- 
miliar intercourse ;  smaller  rooms  came  into  vogue  and, 
appropriately  to  them,  smaller  pieces  of  furniture  and 
new  forms  suited  to  the  new  social  life.  Luxury,  com- 
fort, new  sensations  and  beauty  were  the  things  sought 
for,  and  in  the  seeking  was  felt  an  absolute  freedom 
from  all  restrictions  in  choice  of  form,  material  and 
colour  and  the  sources  from  which  they  came.  Is  it  too 
undignified  to  say  that  when  freed  from  its  heavy- 
handed  ruler  France  arose  and  kicked  its  heels? 


412  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

The  young  King  (only  thirteen  years  old  when  he 
took  the  throne  in  1723)  put  the  wise  Cardinal  Fleury 
at  the  head  of  affairs  and  this  minister  did  his  utmost 
for  the  welfare  of  France.  Louis  was  amiable,  but 
weak  and  inefficient.  As  he  grew  older  he  fell  under 
the  influence  of  his  dissolute  noblemen  and  the  people 
who  had  rejoiced  at  his  accession  found  as  little  con- 
sideration at  his  hands  as  they  had  experienced  under 
his  predecessor.  Not  many  years  ago  contempt  for  the 
1  'public'*  was  expressed  in  terse  and  vigorous  language 
by  the  late  Commodore  Vanderbilt,  and  the  ancestry 
of  that  attitude  is  a  long  one.  It  was  never  more  mani- 
fest than  in  the  reigns  of  the  three  successive  Louis  and 
it  was  not  wonderful  that  it  finally  found  its  aftermath 
in  the  Revolution. 

But  meanwhile  the  exorbitant  taxes  were  yielded 
by  a  suffering  people  and  spent  in  luxury.  The  su- 
preme selfishness  and  profligacy  of  the  era  are  suf- 
ficiently well  known :  less  popularly  appreciated  are  its 
refinement,  sincere  appreciation  of  beauty,  freedom 
from  vulgarity  and  its  intellectuality.  If  it  was  the 
age  of  the  boudoir  it  was  also  that  of  the  salon.  If  the 
Pompadour  ruled  King  and  State  for  the  nineteen 
years  from  1745  to  her  death  in  1764,  and  if  her 
draughts  on  the  treasury  amounted  to  hundreds  of  mil- 
lions of  livres,  her  taste  at  least  was  impeccable  and 
much  of  the  money  was  spent  on  an  architecture  and 
decoration  rendering  France  famous  for  all  time. 

Because  of  her  rule  and  that  of  her  successor, 
Madame  du  Barry,  and  because  of  the  great  influence 
of  the  feminine  sex  in  general  upon  the  social  life  of  the 
times,  we  constantly  hear  (and  have  grown  somewhat 
wearied  in  the  hearing)  the  half  truth  that  the  style 
of  Louis  Quinze  was  the  result  of  the  Reign  of  Woman. 
The  present  writers  would  prefer  to  say  that  it  was  the 


THE  ROCOCO  413 

effect  of  the  Reign  of  Freedom  and  Irresponsibility. 
The  gaiety,  brilliance  of  life,  the  expression  of  its  revolt 
from  control,  its  desire  for  elegance,  its  undisguised 
and  irregulated  search  for  beauty  from  whatever 
source,  found  relief  in  many  frivolous  phases,  but  the 
style  as  a  whole  was  not  only  a  perfect  rendering  of  the 
Gallic 'spirit  but  an  amazing  exhibition  of  fertility  and 
quality  in  design  and  consummate  workmanship.  The 
ebenistes,  weavers  of  tapestries  and  carpets,  and  art- 
workers  of  all  descriptions,  still  under  the  patronage 
of  the  crown,  naturally  breathed  the  pervading  and 
exciting  atmosphere  and  responded  to  -the  spirit  and 
demands  of  the  time.  Nevertheless,  it  is  to  be  remem- 
bered that  these  men  had  received  their  training  under 
the  old  regime  and  did  not  abandon  their  traditions  of 
craftsmanship,  but  gradually  adapted  them  to  the 
changed  conditions  and  new  requirements.  The  Re- 
gence  style  of  decoration  is  an  admirable  one,  retain- 
ing much  of  the  dignity  of  the  previous  age  but  modi- 
fied by  the  easier  feeling  characteristic  of  the  newer 
time.  Indications  of  the  Rococo  had  appeared  even 
during  the  reign  of  Louis  Quatorze,  but  it  was  not  until 
his  successor  sat  upon  the  throne  that  its  full  flower- 
ing came. 

Le  Style  Louis  Quinze  was  the  complete  triumph  of 
the  Romantic.  It  was  revolutionary,  it  was  something 
the  world  had  never  previously  seen.  As  the  outstand- 
ing motif  of  the  Baroque  was  the  broken  curve,  those 
of  the  new  movement  were  the  flowing  double  curve,  or 
line  of  beauty,  and  the  C  scroll ;  and  in  these  there  was 
nothing  cumbersome  nor  tight ;  they  were  instinct  with 
spring  and  swing  and  ease. 

Neither  of  these  were  new,  but  their  employment 
was  very  new  indeed.  Never  before  had  decoration 
known  a  style  in  which  curves  so  completely  became 


414  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

construction,  in  which  the  rectilinear  was  to  such  an 
extent  banished.  Furthermore,  even  the  usual  sym- 
metry of  the  opposing  sides  of  a  design  was  finally 
abolished,  and  balance  was  sustained  by  asymmetrical 
arrangement. 

The  name  of  this  decoration  is  composed  of  the  first 
syllable*  of  Rocaille  and  Coquille  and  hence  signifies 
rock  and  shell.  The  shell  remained  over  from  Baroque 
times,  but  it  was  now  more  than  ever  simply  a  motif 
which  might  be  treated  in  any  artistic  direction  regard- 
less of  a  close  adherence  to  its  original  form.  The  rock 
form  was  similarly  handled  and  Chippendale  made  of 
it  extraordinary  use  in  the  French  mirrors  appearing 
in  his  book. 

It  is  France  alone  which  has  so  far  been  consid- 
ered, and  to  France  belongs  the  premiership  in  this 
style,  though  Italy  is  generally  credited  with  its  origin 
and  Mr.  Thomson  has  discovered  some  of  its  charac- 
teristics in  Spain  much  earlier  than  they  appeared  in 
France.  We  do  not  yet  know  everything  and  some 
such  points  still  remain  to  be  traced.  Through  politi- 
cal misfortune  Italy  had  lost  its  driving  power,  and 
from  the  time  of  Louis  XIV  the  influence  of  France  was 
supreme.  Not  realising  perhaps  that  the  outward 
glory  of  France  was  secured  by  the  ruin  of  its  people, 
Italy  remained  under  its  glamour,  followed  as  nearly 
as  circumstances  permitted  its  social  life  in  an  at- 
tempted but  poverty-oppressed  gaiety  and,  in  a  meas- 
ure to  be  taken  up  later,  adopted  its  decorative  styles. 
This  now  long  distracted  country  was  disposed  of  by 
foreign  powers  and  divided  as  suited  their  policy,  and, 
though  after  1748  peace  ruled  for  a  season,  the  largest 
part  of  her  territory  was  under  the  despotism  of  the 
Bourbons.  Tuscany  was  well  governed  by  Peter  Leo- 


THE  ROCOCO  415 

pold,  and  Venice  remained  a  Republic  till  1797 — but  her 
glory  was  rapidly  departing. 

Under  such  conditions  Italian  craftsmanship  had 
lost  its  virility  and  verve ;  national  traditions  were  par- 
tially neglected  and  work  was  less  thorough ;  cheap  ma- 
terials were  used,  and  the  cheapness  disguised  by  imita- 
tive or  decorated  surfaces;  yet,  notwithstanding  all 
this,  the  contribution  of  Italy  to  eighteenth  century  fur- 
niture was  a  distinct  gain. 

Both  in  Italy  and  on  the  Peninsula,  where  also  the 
Rococo  influence  naturally  had  its  day,  there  was,  how- 
ever, an  occasional  tendency  to  excess.  How  degen- 
erate the  Rococo  could  sometimes  become  outside  of 
France  is  shown  by  the  Portuguese  furniture  in  Plate 
151  B  and  the  Venetian  chair  in  Plate  155  B.  Is  not  the 
"inspiration"  for  the  furniture  of  the  Victoria-General 
Grant  period  now  perfectly  evident?  It  is  to  the 
eternal  credit  of  France  that  its  keen  intellectuality  and 
logical  level-headedness  sustained  it  through  a  style 
that  might  easily  have  run  into  utter  lawlessness.  At 
its  height  the  contrary  Classic  spirit  was  already  grow- 
ing, and  this  tendency  appealed  to  the  discriminating 
taste  and  judgment  of  Madame  de  Pompadour  and  met 
her  encouragement.  Of  this  woman  Voltaire  said: 
"She  was  an  artist  in  everything." 

During  the  last  years  of  the  reign,  when  the  King, 
now  sunk  in  the  deepest  profligacy,  was  as  well  hated 
by  his  subjects  as  once  he  had  been  well  beloved ;  and 
when  the  unconscionable  du  Barry  occupied  the  posi- 
tion once  held  by  Madame  de  Pompadour,  decorative 
art  was  kept  free  from  license  and  degradation  by  this 
counter-movement,  to  be  described  in  the  next  chapter. 
Even  this  last  mistress  of  the  King,  though  lacking 
the  refinement  and  taste  of  her  predecessor,  had  a  vital 
interest  in  art  and  continued  its  encouragement. 


416  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

In  England  there  was  no  Eococo  movement  prop- 
erly to  be  so  called.  Its  social  life  might  be  sufficiently 
worldly,  but  the  Anglo-Saxon  race  has  never  been  so 
light-heartedly  frivolous  as  the  Latin,  and  certainly  was 
not  so  under  its  Hanoverian  sovereigns. 

Interior  architecture  there  remained  unaffected  by 
the  foreign  influence  and  indeed  grew  still  more  classi- 
cal, for  the  Adam  Brothers  began  their  work  about  the 
middle  of  the  century  and  will  be  considered  in  the  next 
chapter.  Much  Louis  Quinze  furniture  crossed  the 
Channel  into  English  mansions,  for  French  fashion  was 
always  powerful,  but  otherwise  the  Eococo  found  there 
but  an  echo — the  " French"  furniture  of  Thomas  Chip- 
pendale and  the  occasional  divagations  of  other  de- 
signers. Yet  Chippendale 's  chairs,  commodes  and 
mirrors  in  this  manner  are  of  the  greatest  importance. 
That  remarkable  man,  with  his  love  of  the  flowing  line 
and  carved  ornament,  took  the  Eococo  and  made  it  his 
own.  In  this  phase  his  work  was  French  and  yet  it 
remained  triumphantly  Thomas  Chippendale. 


France :  As  has  already  been  intimated,  the  style  of 
Louis  XIV  merged  into  that  known  by  the  name  of  his 
successor — for  in  the  arts  such  transitions  are  grad- 
ual. Neither  do  styles  wait  upon  the  death  of  kings, 
and  in  the  later  days  of  le  Grand  Monarque  there  had 
been  decided  indications  of  the  coming  of  the  Eococo. 

.The  excellent  qualities  of  the  Regence  style  are  seen 
in  the  wall-treatment  illustrated  in  Plate  37.  The  dig- 
nity and  decorum  of  Louis  XIV  are  retained  in  the  main 
panelling,  while  it  is  accompanied  by  the  readily  recog- 
nised surmounting  ornament  of  the  Eococo,  which  also 
makes  itself  manifest  in  the  cornice. 

Illustrations  of  the  architectural  background  of  the 


THE  ROCOCO  417 

Rococo  itself  are  given  in  Plates  38-44.  Some  of  these 
are  redolent  of  ornament  and  others  examples  of  the 
beautiful  restraint  that  could  be  shown  by  France  even 
in  one  of  the  most  ornate  of  periods.  As  the  details  of 
these  backgrounds  are  there  given  in  the  accompanying 
text  it  is  unnecessary  to  repeat  them  here. 

The  motifs  were  endless,  natural  forms  being 
largely  employed  and  often  with  fantasy  as  we  may 
realise  when  apes  were  among  the  decorations  used 
(Plate  42).  Chinoiserie  was  particularly  welcomed 
and  piquantly  used. 

Many  of  the  pictorial  decorations  were  not  of  high 
artistic  quality,  but  to  these  elaborate  interiors  such 
artists  as  Watteau,  Fragonard,  Lancret  and  Boucher 
often  added  panel  inserts  of  the  greatest  charm  (Plate 
38  B ) ,  and  it  is  to  be  said  for  this  pictorial  decoration 
of  the  period  that  while  it  might  sometimes  be  indis- 
creet it  was  never,  vulgar.  In  an  age  of  such  freedom 
other  ornamental  walls  were  naturally  employed,  par- 
ticularly those  covered  with  fabrics. 

Italy:  In  circles  where  the  example  of  France  was 
likely  to  be  followed  there  was  some  considerable  adop- 
tion of  the  Rococo  background  with  only  national  dif- 
ferences (Plate  21).  Elsewhere  there  were  no  great 
changes.  Fabric-covered  walls  were  here  also  used. 

Spain :  Interior  architecture  remained  largely  as  be- 
fore, the  Rococo  influence  mainly  making  itself  felt  in 
movable  furniture. 

SIMPLIFIED  BACKGROUNDS 

Notwithstandinng  the  disparities  of  style  in  the 
period  of  Louis  XIV,  exterior  architecture  had  reached 
under  J.  H.  Mansart,  the  king's  architect,  a  Classic 
dignity  which  in  exterior  work  was  well  preserved 
under  the  following  regime.  We  therefore  have  in  the 
27 


418  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

reign  of  Louis  Quinze  the  felt  incongruity  of  a  Classic 
exterior  with  often  a  madly  Romantic  interior  and  fur- 
niture, and  a  wealth  of  beautiful  but  artistically  friv- 
olous accessories.  The  more  deeply  we  look  into  the 
past  the  more  thoroughly  we  realise  that  it  was  not 
so  logical  as  enthusiasm  sometimes  leads  innocence 
to  think. 

It  may  not  be  good  practice  to  argue  from  a  bad 
example,  but  where  necessity  knows  no  law  it  is  human 
to  take  such  comfort  as  we  may.  If,  therefore,  the 
modern  conditions  to  which  the  writers  have  previously 
referred  preclude  the  elaborate  panelling  of  walls, 
surely  a  classically  plain  interior  is  not  more  incongru- 
ous with  Louis  XV  furnishings  than  a  Romantic  inte- 
rior in  a  Classic  building.  We  are  not  left  wholly  to 
this  reasoning,  however,  for  there  were  some  plain- 
wall  backgrounds  in  this  period.  It  was  not  the  pre- 
vailing style,  but  they  were  sufficient  in  number  to 
justify  us  in  using  this  method. 

But  if  an  entire  house  or  apartment  may  not  be 
panelled  in  a  fairly  ornate  phase  of  the  period,  it  may 
in  some  cases  at  least  be  possible  to  treat  the  drawing- 
room  or  boudoir  in  a  simplified  manner.  Preserving 
the  rectangular  base  and  tall  panels,  decorators,  by  the 
use  of  a  very  few  characteristic  curves  at  their  tops, 
frequently  supply  an  entirely  simple  but  perfectly  cor- 
rect rendering  of  the  style,  such  as  was  doubtless  seen 
in  the  modest  houses  of  this  period. 

Where  panelling  is  entirely  precluded,  a  perfectly 
plain  painted  or  papered  wall  could  be  used,  its  tone 
being  one  of  the  soft,  warm  French  greys,  fawn,  or  an 
ivory-white.  Especially  in  a  boudoir,  a  grey-blue  or 
soft  rose  or  a  greyed  blue-green  or  pale  sage  green 
might  be  employed. 

A  paper-panelled  wall  would  be  permissible,  pro- 


THE  ROCOCO  419 

vided  the  divisions  were  strictly  architectural  and  not 
irregular  and  floral.  Two  shades  of  soft  grey,  or  pale 
grey  and  blue,  or  pale  grey  and  rose  would  be  excellent. 

French  colour-prints  (or  their  reproductions,  if 
good)  in  the  correct  frames  of  the  period,  afford  ad- 
mirable wall  decorations. 

Tapestries  appropriate  in  spirit  are  a  great  addi- 
tion to  the  plain-wall  treatment. 

In  such  interiors  plain  or  simply  bordered  rugs  in 
soft  greys,  fawns,  or  such  tones  as  the  above  could  be 
used,  or  finely  patterned  Orientals  in  similar  shades  to 
the  Aubusson  or  Savonnerie  carpets.  These  were  col- 
ourful but  refined — no  strident  hues  nor  harsh  con- 
trasts have  place  in  this  decoration. 

THE    FURNITURE    OF    THE    ROCOCO    PERIOD 

In  such  a  brief  and  necessarily  inadequate  review 
of  epochs  (each  of  which  is  a  field  for  study)  as  can  be 
given  in  the  compass  of  a  few  chapters,  it  is  plainly  im- 
possible to  cover  all  phases  or  to  illustrate  more  than 
a  guiding  selection  of  furniture :  but  in  any  case  it  has 
been  felt  that  a  broad  view,  sufficient  to  evolve  princi- 
ples and  indicate  the  way,  is  better  for  the  purpose  in 
view  than  to  obscure  the  subject  with  details,  however 
interesting  in  themselves. 

In  illustration  of  the  merging  of  the  Baroque  into 
the  Rococo  we  have  an  excellent  example  in  the  two 
outside  chairs  of  the  three  shown  in  one  cut  (Plate 
152  B),  the  remaining,  central  chair  being  a  more  com- 
plete assimiliation  of  the  later  style  but  still  heavier 
and  stiffer  in  its  lines  than  subsequent  manifestations. 
The  Baroque  broken-curve  persists  in  the  legs  of  the 
pair  of  chairs,  but  lengthened  and  straightened  on  its 
way  to  the  formation  of  the  flowing  double-curve  or 
line  of  beauty  evident  in  the  Louis  XV  chairs  appear- 


420  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

ing  in  Plate  160.  A  survival  of  the  Baroque  will  also 
be  seen  in  the  sumptuous  Venetian  arm-chair  (Plate 
155  C). 

The  Portuguese  chair  (Plate  151  A)  is  at  once  no- 
ticeable by  the  broad  swelling  of  the  leg,  its  individual 
ornament,  and  the  claw-and-ball  feet — a  distinct  variety 
indeed  in  the  Eococo  chair!  Not  even  so  apparent  in 
the  cut  as  in  the  piece  itself  is  the  severe  rake  of  the 
back  and  the  lines  of  the  uprights  of  the  arms  which 
parallel  it. 

The  Italian  early  Eococo  chairs  in  Plate  157  C  are 
also  of  great  interest  and  the  Spanish  chairs  (Plate 
158  B)  show  an  excellent  restraint  which  we  could  wish 
might  always  have  been  employed  in  the  furniture  of 
the  country.  Such  variations,  in  form  and  detail,  from 
the  usual  French  types  as  these  foreign  chairs  afford 
are  indeed  to  be  appreciated  in  the  assembling  of  fur- 
niture. Forcibly  brought  home  to  us  is  the  curvilinear 
basis  of  the  Eococo  style  when  we  realise  that  in  all 
these  chairs  there  is  hardly  a  straight  line. 

A  typical  example  of  the  French  sofa  appears  in 
the  modern  interior  illustrated  in  Plate  114,  and  with 
this  we  may  compare  the  unusual  Venetian  specimen 
shown  in  Plate  155  A.  The  boldly  swelling  front  of  the 
latter,  the  peculiar  feet  and  the  ornament  of  the  legs 
at  once  proclaim  its  interesting  differences.  It  will  be 
noted  that  this  and  the  sumptuous  chair  adjoining  it 
below  are  covered  with  the  same  fabric. 

The  textiles  of  the  period  were  of  great  beauty  (see 
"Decorative  Textiles"  by  George  Leland  Hunter). 
Tapestry  and  the  heavy  brocades  were  appropriately 
employed  upon  seating  furniture  of  the  natural  woods, 
while  enamelled  and  gilt  pieces  were  covered  with  the 
materials  of  lighter  weight.  The  tones  of  the  painting 
or  enamelling  of  the  framework  were  usually  soft 
greys,  fawns  or  deep  ivory,  often  in  two  shades. 


PLATE  151 


A.    Rococo   Carved   Walnut 

Arm   Chair  with  Claw-and- 

ball   Feet.      Louis   XV  and 

Chippendale  Affinities 


Excess  the  Style  Could  Run  Outside  of  France 

PORTUGUESE  ROCOCO  FURNITURE 
By  Courtesy  of  Mr.  Nicholas  Martin 


PLATE  152 


A.   SPANISH   TRANSITION    BAROQUE- 
ROCOCO  CHEST  OF  DRAWERS 
Red  Lacquer  and  Gilt.    Mid  Eighteenth 

Century.    Chippendale  Affinity 
By  Courtesy  of  C.  M.  Traver  Co. 


B.  FRENCH  REGENCE  CHAIRS 

Collection  Lelouz 
By  Courtesy  of  L.  Alavoine  &  Co. 


C.  FRENCH   ROCOCO   CONSOLE   IN   WROUGHT   IRON 
WITH  BRASS  MOUNTS 

Collection  Kraemer 
By  Courtesy  L.  Alavoine  &  Co. 


PLATE   153 


A.  LOUIS  XV  CABINET  IN  CHINESE  TASTE,  BLACK  AND  GOLD 
LACQUER  WITH  BRASS  MOUNTS 

Collection  Kraemer 
By  Courtesy  of  L.  Alavoine  &  Co. 


Photograph  by  Alinari 

B.  LOUIS  XV  MARQUETERIE  COMMODE  WITH  BRONZE 

ORNAMENTS 

Mus6e  du  Louvre 

By  Courtesy  of  Radillo-Pelitti  Co. 


PLATE  154 


A.    CHIPPENDALE    FRENCH    MIRROR 
GILT 


B.  CHIPPENDALE  FRENCH  CONSOLE  CABINET  WITH 
ROCOCO  MOTIFS 

Both  from  the  Collection  of  the  Late  Richard  A.  Canfield,  Esq. 


THE  ROCOCO  421 

The  Rococo  style  could  not  be  better  illustrated  than 
by  the  console  in  wrought  iron  with  brass  mounts 
(Plate  152  C)  and  the  cabinet  and  commode  (Plate 
153  A  and  B).  In  view  of  the  now  renewed  commerce 
between  France  and  China  it  was  but  natural  that  the 
always  fascinating  Chinese  influence  should  be  marked 
in  this  age,  and  it  is  exemplified  in  the  cabinet  in  black 
and  gold  lacquer.  The  chased  metal  mounts  of  such 
furniture  formed  one  of  the  most  beautiful  mobiliary 
developments  in  France. 

Let  us  place  with  these  the  Venetian  console  table 
(Plate  155  D)  and  the  English  console  cabinet  veri- 
tably by  Thomas  Chippendale,  owned  by  the  late  Mr. 
Canfield  (Plate  154  B).  In  the  latter  the  constructive 
material  is  the  mahogany  so  beloved  of  that  master 
and  so  adapted  to  the  marvellous  carving  that  was  his 
decorative  metier.  We  may  consider  the  interest  of 
the  variety  shown  by  such  pieces  as  this  and  the  above, 
all  so  illustrative  of  le  style  Rocaille  yet  so  different 
in  the  means  and  material  chosen  for  its  embodiment. 
It  is  also  to  be  noted  that  in  this  work  of  Chippendale, 
England,  for  the  first  time,  has  something  to  show 'com- 
parable to  the  fine  furniture  of  France. 

In  actual  practice  it  will  be  found  that  this  strictly 
Rococo  furniture  is  not  the  only  furniture  of  Chippen- 
dale's which  will  accompany  Louis  XV  pieces.  His 
lighter,  more  elegant  and  ornamental  chairs  and  tables 
with  their  cabriole  legs  and  handsome  carving  are  well 
adapted  to  such  association,  and  some  of  his  upholstered 
chairs  were  quite  in  the  vein  of  the  French  bergeres. 

In  the  Venetian  console  table  the  manner  in  which 
the  semi-naturalistic  leaves  and  stems  are  disposed  to 
form  the  Rococo  lower  edge  of  the  table  is  particularly 
arresting.  This  console  is  painted  in  golden  yellow, 
banded  in  green  with  multicolour,  and  with  touches  of 
roso  in  the  flowers,  thus  making  an  altogether  engaging 


422  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

piece.  Even  the  rather  halting  curves  of  the  legs  and 
their  proportions  add  a  " difference"  and  quaintness 
far  from  unpleasing.  A  carved  and  gilt  Spanish  con- 
sole table  is  also  shown  (Plate  158  B).  Consoles  were 
usually  gilded  in  order  that  they  might  properly  ac- 
company the  frames  of  the  mirrors  above  them.  One 
of  the  madly  Rococo  but  marvellously  designed  mirrors 
of  Chippendale  is  seen  in  Plate  154  A. 

There  are  touches  of  both  the  pathetic  and  cour- 
ageous in  the  Italian  furniture  of  this  period.  If  pen- 
ury often  forbade  the  use  of  expensive  woods,  the 
cheaper  ones  employed  were  rendered  cheerfully  gay 
by  painting  and  decoration.  This  treatment,  though 
not  of  great  moment  in  the  naturalistic  design  com- 
monly used,  was  nevertheless  of 'much  charm  and  ele- 
gant though  homelike  feeling.  Economy  in  labour  may 
also  have  been  responsible  for  hasty  workmanship ;  for 
certain  it  is  that  carving  did  hot  usually  display  the  im- 
peccable quality  of  the  furniture  of  France,  and  the 
painting  grounds  were  often  ill-prepared,  so  that  some 
pieces  have  not  withstood  the  test  of  time.  Examples 
of  this  Italian  decorated  furniture  appear  in  the  set  of 
three  pieces  (Plate  156)  and  the  Venetian  console  table 
already  referred  to  (Plate  155  D). 

In  international  furnishing  the  Italian  pieces  shown 
on  Plate  157  and  the  Spanish  furniture  on  Plate  158 
have  particular  interest.  They  have  affinities  both  with 
the  usual  Rococo  forms  and  with  the  English  vein  of 
Chippendale  and  even  of  Queen  Anne.  It  will  be  seen 
that  they  might  harmoniously  be  employed  with  fur- 
niture of  either  style. 

The  little  cupboard  (Plate  158  C)  is  an  engaging 
and  almost  amusing  mixture  of  metier — decidedly 
Classic  upon  its  front,  but  as  decidedly  buttressed  at 
the  sides  by  the  Rococo. 


PLATE  155 


A.    Venetian  Upholstered  Sofa  of  Unusual  Form 

Louis  XV  Affinities 
By  Courtesy  of  the  Misses  Hewitt 


B.  Carved  and  Gilded  Walnut 
Chair.  Degenerate  Rococo 
Courtesy  American  Art 
Galleries 


C.  Carved   and    Painted    Walnut 
Chair.    Transition  Baroque 

to  Rococo 
Courtesy  The  Misses  Hewitt 


D.  Golden  Yellow  Console  with  Green  and  Polychrome 
By  Courtesy  of  Mrs.  M.  Orme  Wilson 

VENETIAN*  ROCOCO  FURNITURE 


PLATE  156 


AN  ITALIAN  ROCOCO  PAINTED  SET 

Cream  Ground,  Blue  Lines  and  Multicolour  Floral  Decoration.    Louis  XV  Affinities 
By  Courtesy  Cooper  Institute 


PLATE  157 


A.  Walnut  Chair-back  Settee,  Baroque  and  Incipient  Rococo  Influences 
Louis  XV  and  Queen  Anne  Affinities 

B.  Rococo   Walnut-veneer  Console   Cabinet  with  Embossed  Brass 
Mounts.    Louis  XV  Affinities 
By  Courtesy  Cooper  Institute 


C.  Early  Rococo  Walnut  Arm  Chairs 
R6gence  and  Chippendale  Affinities 
Coooer  Institute 


ITALIAN   ROCOCO  FURNITURE 


D.     Walnut     Chair, 
Louis     XV,     Queen 
Anne  and   Chippen- 
dale Affinities 
George  Howe,  Esq. 


PLATE  158 


A.  Walnut  Bureau  Bookcase 
By  Courtesy  of  Mr.  Karl  Freund 


B.  Painted  and  Parcel  Gilt  Arm  Chairs  and  Gilt  Console.    Louis  XV  Affinities 
By  Courtesy  of  C.  M.  Traver  Co. 


C.  Painted  and  Parcel  Gilt  Cupboard 


THE  ROCOCO  423 

The  carpets  employed  in  this  period  were  the  Au- 
bussons  and  Savonneries.  These  and  the  delightful 
tapestries  then  made  are  described  and  pictured  in  Mr. 
Hunter's  "Decorative  Textiles." 

The  tapestries  were  usually  employed  in  the  stately 
rooms,  either  hung  upon  the  panelling  or  forming  the 
panel  inserts.  Where  plaster  walls  occurred  they  were 
either  hung  upon  the  wall  or  inset  in  a  plaster  decora- 
tion. In  the  Murat  Mansion  a  tapestry  is  suspended 
in  an  arched  panel,  a  rectangular  frame  below  the  arch 
enclosing  the  tapestry.  Beneath  it  is  a  long  console 
table. 

The  accessories  of  the  period  were  numerous  and 
elaborate — side  lights,  candlesticks,  clocks,  vases  and 
mantel-ornaments,  caskets,  attractive  boxes  and  objects 
of  art  of  all  descriptions. 

THE   PRACTICAL   EMPLOYMENT   OF   ROCOCO    FURNITURE 

If  furniture  of  this  period  is  to  be  used,  an  excellent 
degree  ef  variety  will  be  secured  by  supplementing 
French  pieces  by  those  of  other  nations  under  the  same 
influence.  In  a  preceding  section  it  was  noted  that  in 
general  the  very  distinct  spirit  and  characteristics  of 
Eococo  furniture  unfit  it  for  association  with  that  of 
other  periods.  In  a  distinctly  French  interior  there  is 
some  reason  for  such  a  combination,  and  this  and  a 
method  of  procedure  which  secures  sufficient  unity  will 
be  discussed  in  the  next  chapter.  For  other  interiors  a 
superior  alternative  will  there  also  be  given. 

By  the  eclectic  system  of  furnishing — a  choosing 
from  here,  there  and  everywhere — Louis  Quinze  furni- 
ture is  constantly  used  with  all  sorts  of  other  mobiliary 
forms,  and  sometimes  with  very  unfortunate  results. 
The  writers  have  seen  an  illustration  of  an  otherwise 
admirable  and  very  dignified  room  in  the  style  of  the 


424  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

Italian  Renaissance  where  in  the  immediate  fore- 
ground is  one  Louis  XV  chair,  its  framework  light  in 
hue  (so  that  it  is  probably  either  painted  or  gilded)  and 
covered  with  a  light  figured  fabric,  probably  damask. 
It  falls  out  woefully  with  the  rest  of  the  interior,  and 
the  want  of  discrimination  shown  in  its  introduction  is 
decidedly  to  be  deprecated. 

Other  instances  are  less  disastrous,  but  the  employ- 
ment of  a  mixture  of  styles  that  have  no  real  homo- 
geneity gives  such  an  interior  the  aspect  of  a  museum. 
This  may  be  unobjectionable  in  a  studio  or  in  the 
private  palace,  but  elsewhere  we  may  do  better. 

That  good  judgment,  however,  may  surmount  gen- 
eral difficulties  is  shown  in  the  room  so  excellently  ar- 
ranged by  Mr.  Platt  (Plate  56).  The  effect  is  stamped 
as  Italian  by  the  tapestry  and  bust  which  at  once  meet 
the  eye.  The  cabinet  and  the  chair  in  the  right  fore- 
ground are  also  Italian  and  of  an  earlier  period  than 
that  of  the  furniture  on  the  left,  which  is  Louis  Quinze. 
It  is,  however,  a  restrained  and  chastened  form  of  the 
period.  It  is  slender,  but  so  is  the  Italian  chair,  and 
though  the  latter  is  generally  rectangular  the  long 
sweeping  scroll  of  the  arm  closely  echoes  the  general 
lines  of  the  French  pieces.  Both  are  also  alike  in  hue. 
Here,  then,  we  have  a  sufficient  degree  of  unity  with  a 
pleasant  variety,  and  examples  such  as  this  may  be  of 
the  greatest  value  to  salesmen  advising  their  customers 
as  to  purchases  as  well  as  to  professional  decorators 
and  buyers  of  their  own  furniture. 

THE  EOCOCO   STYLE  AND  PRESENT-DAY  USE 

Admiration  or  dislike  of  this  style  is  perhaps  more 
than  with  any  other  a  matter  of  temperament  and  per- 
sonal character.  In  reaching  a  decision  we  should  not 
fail  to  discriminate— one  may  grow  very  impatient  of 


THE  ROCOCO  425 

such  wall  decoration  as  that  at  Hotel  de  Matignon  and 
appreciate  to  as  great  a  degree  the  beautiful  reserve  of 
that  of  Hotel  Delisle:  one  may  not  greatly  care  for 
apesy  or  too  florid  mantels  with  clocks  and  ornaments 
more  florid  still,  and  may  yet  very  much  like  such  pieces 
of  furniture  as  the  Chinese  commode  or  the  beautiful 
settees  and  chairs. 

It  is  undoubtedly  in  many  phases  a  feminine  and 
frivolous  style  and  yet  it  contains  elements  that,  with 
due  selection,  present  an  interior  of  beauty,  sufficient 
dignity  and  permanent  value. 

Whether  or  no  the  decoration  and  furniture  of  this 
age  entirely  meet  one's  own  personal  preference — and 
the  writers  make  no  bones  in  saying  that  they  do  not 
meet  theirs  as  do  those  of  the  succeeding  period — a 
catholic  spirit  appreciative  of  beauty  cannot  fail  to  be 
filled  with  admiration  for  the  invention,  versatility, 
grace,  lightness  and  cleverness  of  this  amazing  move- 
ment and  the  quality  of  its  craftsmanship. 

For  the  house  largely  devoted  to  the  life  of  fashion 
it  is  therefore  particularly  well  adapted,  and  for  a 
woman's  apartment  its  chaster  forms  will  create  a 
home  of  comfort,  charm  and  great  refinement  (a  mod- 
ern interior  in  this  style  is  illustrated  in  Plates  55  and 
114).  But  what  would  be  thought  of  a  bachelor  who 
decorated  and  furnished  his  rooms  a  la  Rocaille! 

The  capabilities  of  the  period  were  among  the  first 
to  be  appreciated  by  decorators  and  the  allied  trades, 
and,  as  usually  treated,  it  naturally  therefore  no  longer 
possesses  the  element  of  novelty  desired  by  some 
clients.  A  broader  rendering  of  this  style,  combining 
Italian,  Spanish  and  French-Chippendale  elements 
with  the  French,  opens  out  a  new  and  delightful  field 
for  their  endeavours. 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE  NEO-CLASSIC 

THE  CLASSIC  REVIVAL.  THE  FRENCH  SPIRIT.  THE  ARCHI- 
TECTURAL BACKGROUND.  THE  FURNITURE  OF  THE  PERIOD. 
THE  ASSEMBLING  OF  NEO-CLASSIC  FURNITURE.  BACK- 
GROUNDS AND  FURNITURE.  THE  DIRECTORY,  CONSULATE 
AND  EMPIRE. 

THE  CLASSIC  REVIVAL 

THE  cause  of  the  Classic  Eevival  has  been  much 
discussed  but  after  all  is  extremely  simple.  The 
Romantic  spirit,  as  expressed  in  the  Baroque 
and  Rococo  movements,  had  done  its  utmost  and  could 
no  further  go  without  lapsing  into  degeneracy.  As  we 
have  seen,  some  phases  of  it  had  already  done  so. 
After  practically  two  centuries  of  this  spirit  all  Europe 
was  quite  ready  for  something  new,  and  as  Classicism 
was  now  everywhere  "in  the  air"  it  was  seized  upon 
as  a  restful  and  welcome  relief  from  past  irregular- 
ities, however  beautiful  in  themselves. 

There  were  several  causes  for  the  existing  renewed 
interest  in  the  Classic  not  necessary  for  our  purpose 
to  go  into  here ;  but  one  of  them  may  briefly  be  men- 
tioned because  of  its  special  bearing  upon  the  decora- 
tion and  furnishing  we  are  to  consider.  Architects  and 
others  interested  in  the  arts  (and  proportionately  there 
were  probably  a  greater  number  of  titled  and  private 
gentlemen  concerned  in  such  matters  then  than  now) 
had  discovered  that  the  phase  of  Classicism  that  en- 
tered into  Renaissance  culture — commonly  called  Pal- 
ladianism — was  only  a  phase  and  by  no  means  em- 
braced the  whole  art  of  Greece  and  Rome.  Renewed 

426 


THE  NEO-CLASSIC  427 

investigation  at  first-hand  had  thereupon  taken  place, 
stimulated  by  the  discoveries  at  Herculaneum  and 
Pompeii. 

The  movement  was  practically  simultaneous  in 
England  and  France  and  both  were  equally  absorbed. 
Doubtless  also  each  reacted  upon  the  other,  for  certain 
forms  of  Adam  and  Louis  Seize  furniture  are  very 
close.  The  influence  of  French  fashion  had  long  been 
great  in  England,  and  rather  strangely,  considering  the 
wars  between  them,  there  seems  to  have  been  in  France 
a  very  considerable  leaning  toward  English  ways  and 
thought  which,  later,  still  developed.  Mr.  Salaman 
says  in  his  ' ' French  Colour  Prints ' ' :  "In  those  years 
just  before  the  Revolution  Paris  fell  head  and  ears  in 
love  with  London,  and  English  fashions  and  English 
customs  were  all  the  rage." 

The  adoption  of  the  style  in  Italy  was  synchronous 
with  the  development  in  France  and  England.  Spain, 
also,  for  the  good  of  her  artistic  soul,  received  the  same 
influence. 

In  England  the  outstanding  figure  was  Robert 
Adam,  the  greatest  of  the  Adelphi,  and  his  work  was 
closely  followed  by  others.  This  can  best  be  treated 
under  the  section  on  Architectural  Backgrounds. 

THE  FRENCH  SPIRIT 

As  no  decoration  or  furniture  can  be  understood 
without  a  right  understanding  of  the  circumstances 
that  gave  them  rise,  it  is  necessary  to  say  a  few  words 
regarding  the  supposed  influence  of  Marie  Antoinette 
upon  the  ideals  of  France  and  upon  its  art. 

Owing  to  the  sadness  of  her  death,  her  character 
has  been  idealised,  and  the  *  *  renovation "  of  the  deco- 
ration of  the  country  ascribed  by  popular  opinion 
largely  to  her  and  the  cleanliness  of  the  lives  of  both 


428  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

herself  and  the  king.  Their  influence  was  upon  the  side 
of  Classicism,  and  it  is  ungracious  to  have  to  say  that 
she  was  both  a  supremely  foolish  and  very  obstinate 
woman.  Her  extravagances,  her  indiscretions,  her  in- 
trigues, and  the  affair  of  the  Diamond  Necklace  are, 
however,  in  history  for  everyone  to  read.  As  to  her 
influence  upon  French  social  life  the  words  of  her  lead- 
ing lady-in-waiting,  Madame  Campan,  loyal  to  her 
through  all  her  troubles,  may  be  given:  "The  queen 
chose  as  her  favourite  the  amiable,  naive  duchesse  de 
Polignac,  who  lived  quite  openly  with  M.  de  Vandreuil ; 
the  comtesse  Diane,  her  sister,  was  known  to  have  sev- 
eral lovers — so  little  did  people  care  for  morality !  The 
public  noticed  that,  although  the  king's  and  queen's 
married  life  was  absolutely  blameless,  they  were  not 
overburdened  with  scruples,  and  so  advantage  was 
taken  of  that  fact." 

As  to  her  influence  upon  art  the  same  authority  tells 
us  that  Marie  Antoinette  ' '  cared  nothing  for  literature 
or  pictures."  We  have  already  seen  that  some  years 
before  her  day  the  Classic  feeling  was  espoused  by 
Madame  de  Pompadour ;  it  is  a  matter  of  history  that 
when  Madame  du  Barry  fitted  up  her  palatial  retreat 
at  Louveciennes,  considered  by  some  to  be  one  of  the 
most  perfect  expressions  of  the  Style  Louis  Seize,  the 
work  was  practically  complete  before  Marie  Antoin- 
ette ever  saw  France.  We  might  as  well  ascribe  the 
"cleaning  up"  of  decoration  to  these  two  as  to  the 
queen.  To  be  honest  with  ourselves  we  have  to  admit 
that  it  was  the  Pompadour  whose  taste  was  certain, 
and  that  Marie  Antoinette 's  interest  in  decoration  was 
marked  by  caprice  and  indecision.  The  acknowledg- 
ment of  these  truths  is  in  no  way  inconsistent  with  our 
paying  her  all  honour  for  the  continuance  of  the  inter- 


THE  NEO-CLASSIC  429 

esi  of  the  crown  in  the  arts  and  for  her  personal  firm- 
ness and  dignity  during  her  last  days. 

The  whole  point,  and  a  very  necessary  one  to  under- 
stand, is  that  the  social  life  and  the  spirit  of  the  age  in 
France  was  not  changed;  that  the  Classic  movement 
was  not  brought  about  by  a  queen  who  found  it  in  full 
force  upon  her  arrival,  but  that  it  was  primarily  an 
artistic  movement  initiated  by  architects  and  deco- 
rators, and  then  accepted  by  fashion  as  a  relief  from 
a  previous  mode  of  which  it  had  grown  weary.  "We 
shall  see  the  practical  bearing  of  this. 

Notwithstanding  the  change  from  the  style  of  Louis 
XV  to  that  of  his  successor,  both  decoration  and  furni- 
ture remained  as  characteristically  "French"  as  be- 
fore— it  would  be  impossible  to  ascribe  them  to  another 
nation.  The  difference  was  one  of  contour  and  form 
of  ornament — that  was  indeed  much  but  that  was  all ! 
Let  us  apply  the  remaining  tests  mentioned  in  the  sec- 
ond chapter  of  this  part  and  see.  In  size  and  weight 
they  were  practically  the  same:  the  colours  employed 
were  rather  more  subtle  and  quiet,  but  there  is  no  in- 
congruity :  the  use  of  mahogany  instead  of  marqueterie 
for  cabinet  work  increased  and  it  was  given  a  brighter 
finish,  but  such  a  difference  is  small  in  its  whole  effect 
where  elegance  had  always,  and  still,  prevailed.  The 
character  of  the  fabrics  employed  remained  the  same. 
Both  styles  are  slender,  elegant,,  light-hearted  and 
charming. 

How  is  it  possible  that  with  a  change  from  a  madly 
Eomantic  to  a  Classic  style  there  should  be  no  other 
difference  than  this  of  form;  that  the  spirit  remained 
the  same! 

Precisely  because  of  the  points  that  have  been  dis- 
cussed. The  social  life  and  trend  of  the  age  remained 
unchanged,  and  this  inward  and  essential  unity  was 


430  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

sure  to  make  itself  felt  through  any  variation  in  the 
mode  of  expression.  We  observe  in  all  ages  the  adapt- 
ability of  artists  to  alteration  of  manner,  and  the  ver- 
satile Frenchmen  seem  to  have  found  little  difficulty  in 
accommodating  themselves  to  the  new  metier.  Fur- 
thermore, we  must  always  remember  that  this  was  an 
art  movement  primarily  brought  about  by  the  archi- 
tects and  decorators  themselves,  and  so  involving  no 
hardship  in  its  following.  Some  showed  themselves 
more  eager,  or  more  adaptable,  than  others ;  as  would 
naturally  be  the  case.  The  mode  once  being  taken  up 
by  fashion,  however,  it  was  necessary  for  all  to  pursue 
it  to  a  large  extent  or  lose  prestige. 

The  practical  result  of  all  this  is  that  we  feel  no 
such  vital  difference  between  these  two  styles  as  we 
do  between  that  of  Louis  XV  and  his  predecessor,  and 
in  French  interiors  the  two  styles  of  decoration  are 
continually  employed  in  the  same  house  and  the  two 
styles  of  furniture  in  the  same  room.  The  most  advis- 
able combination  will  be  considered  later. 

THE  ARCHITECTURAL  BACKGROUND 

England :  It  seems  to  the  writers,  at  least,  that  the 
interior  architecture  of  Robert  and  James  Adam  was 
decidedly  more  fecund  and  able  than  that  of  the  archi- 
tects of  Louis  Seize.  The  French  backgrounds  were 
dignified  or  charming,  according  to  their  use,  generally 
restful,  and  always  beautiful;  yet  were  withal  rather 
conventional.  The  Adam  Brothers '  work  was  perfectly 
individual  and  of  great  variety  of  expression.  The 
difference  seems  to  be  that  while  the  Adelphi  used  an- 
tiquity, the  French  largely  copied  it!  During  the  Em- 
pire that  copying  grew  to  a  positive  obsession. 

Our  best  architects,  who  know  the  interior  work 
of  the  Brothers  Adam  are  keenly  appreciative  of  its 


PLATE  159 


PLATE  160 


? 

Q  35*1 


THE  NEO-CLASSIC  431 

qualities,  but  some  writers  on  decoration  do  not  realise 
its  bigness.  A  closer  study  of  the  body  of  their  achieve- 
ment may  bring  enlightenment. 

Saturated  with  the  Classic  spirit  as  they  were,  their 
originality  was  not  dwarfed  but  stimulated.  Mr.  Wil- 
son Eyre  says  that  "the  man  wlio  is  most  original  is 
the  man  who  best  knows  what  other  people  have  done, ' ' 
and  if  this  is  not  invariably  true  it  is  the  defect  of 
originality  rather  than  the  fault  of  knowledge.  Certain 
it  is  that  Robert  and  James  Adam  are  shining  examples 
of  the  proper  use  of  acquired  information. 

Eobert  Adam  and  Sir  William  Chambers  were  the 
king's  architects.  Robert  was  a  member  of  Parliament, 
occupied  an  high  social  position,  and  at  his  burial  a 
duke  and  five  other  gentlemen  of  title  were  his  pall- 
bearers. His  commissions  were  therefore  important 
ones,  comprising  London  mansions,  large  country- 
houses  and  his  own  enterprise  at  Adelphi  Terrace. 
Such  interior  architecture,  particularly  when  of  classic 
character,  is  naturally  imposing  and  of  the  greatest 
dignity,  and,  as  is  usual  in  this  faulty  world,  has  been 
faulted  because  it  is  not  something  else  than  he  appro- 
priately intended  it  to  be. 

That  the  style  is,  however,  susceptible  of  a  homelike 
feeling  in  beautiful  but  less  palatial  employment  is 
showrn  by  the  excellent  rendition  of  it  in  the  modern 
room  illustrated  (Plate  159). 

Adam's  work  (his  brothers  were  excellent  men  but 
the  originality  was  Robert's)  was  of  too  great  variety 
to  illustrate  in  all  its  phases.  Perhaps  his  most  in- 
dividual mode  and  the  one  most  closely  connected  with 
his  name  is  the  one  generally  exemplified  in  Plate  10. 

Contrast  with  this  the  sumptuous  back  drawing- 
room  at  Lansdowne  House,  also  his.  Against  the  walls 
of  old  gold  silk  damask  rise  ornate  pilasters  of  light 


432  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

yellow  tone  upon  which  arabesques  are  painted  in  col- 
our. The  capitals  are  gilded.  The  ceiling  is  modelled 
and  painted  and  of  arabesques  containing  paintings  in 
colour.  The  painted  furniture  is  of  green  upon  which 
amorini  appear  in  light  tones.* 

The  writers  admit  as  a  fault  in  the  work  of  the  Adam 
Brothers  the  smallness  of  scale  sometimes  shown  in 
details.  The  eighteenth  century  was  not  an  age  of 
downright  assertiveness,  but  one  of  detailed  refinement, 
and  no  man  may  rise  altogether  superior  to  his 
environment. 

It  was  the  ambition  of  Robert  Adam,  for  complete- 
ness' sake,  to  design  not  only  the  room  but  all  that  it 
contained — an  impossible  task  for  so  busy  a  man.  It 
seems  to  the  writers  that  Providence  allowed  him  to 
proceed  far  enough  to  give  the  world  many  beautiful 
examples  of  furniture  and  then  stepped  in  to  prevent 
his  going  too  far.  Ideal  as  such  a  plan  seems  upon  the 
surface  to  be,  it  is  likely  that  the  harmony  of  such  in- 
teriors would  have  savoured  of  sameness.  Certainly 
the  mingling  of  other  forms  in  these  rooms  as  they  now 
exist  is  in  some  instances  very  pleasing. 

France :  Though  one  may  personally  prefer  a  greater 
restraint  than  was  evident  in  many  of  the  interiors  of 
Louis  XV  there  is  no  blinking  the  fact  that  the  suc- 
ceeding reign  shows  a  decline  of  spontaneity,  verve  and 
originality.  It  will  not  do  to  ascribe  this  to  the  curb- 
ing influence  of  Classicism,  for  the  Adams  found  it  a 
well  of  inspiration,  as  did  the  great  architects  of  the 
Renaissance  before  them.  It  was  probably  due  partly 
to  the  inclination  for  copying,  previously  referred  to, 
and  the  copying  of  only  certain  phases  at  that,  and  to 
some  decline  in  the  originality  of  the  architects  them- 

*  "  Robert  Adam  and  His  Brothers,"  by  John  Swarbrick. 


THE  NEO-CLASSIC  433 

selves.  A  reference  to  Plate  160  shows  that  they  some- 
times even  did  not  go  back  to  antiquity  direct,  but 
travelled  the  footprints  of  their  predecessors ;  for  this 
interior  seems  simply  a  return  to  the  style  of  Louis 
XIV  done  in  the  mode  of  Louis  Seize.  A  number  of 
other  interiors  are  shown  in  Plates  46-49.  That  of  the 
boudoir  at  Hotel  de  La  Fayette  (Plate  46)  shows  no 
particular  individuality  but  is  very  charming.  It  will 
be  interesting  to  compare  it  with  the  similar  room  of 
the  style  of  Louis  XV  shown  in  Plate  39  B. 

Italy:  In  the  earlier  part  of  the  eighteenth  century 
the  backgrounds  had  remained  of  the  earlier  Renais- 
sance character  with  Baroque  developments,  or  else  in 
some  cases  had  followed  the  Eococo  style  with  national 
differences.  The  latter  movement  in  France  had  also 
been  influential  in  introducing  smaller,  more  intimate 
rooms,  such  as  drawing-rooms  and  boudoirs,  in  addi- 
tion to  the  large  salons  of  former  times. 

But,  as  Mr.  George  Moore  says,  ''Italy  never  forgot 
her  antiquity,  nor  could  she  forget  it,"  and  as  soon  as 
the  revival  of  Classicism  began  she  hastened  to  resume 
any  portion  of  her  heritage  which  had  been  foregone 
( Plate  22  B) .  Italy  was  poor,  but  she  refused  to  neglect 
decoration,  and  ornate  walls  were  still  sumptuous  with 
frescoes,  mosaic  or  inlay.  Fabric-covered  walls  also 
remained  in  vogue,  and  one  of  these,  at  Villa  Curonia, 
is  illustrated.  Painted  and  parcel  gilt  panelling  was 
used,  and  mirrors  were  common.  Plain  walls  were 
enriched  by  tapestries,  plaques,  wood-carvings  and 
other  movable  decorations.  Landscape  and  classical 
wall-papers  now  also  came  into  fashion. 

Spain:  The  flame  of  inspiration  in  Spain  had  died 
low  and  that  country  had  little  new  to  show  at  this 
period  beyond  its  own  national  modifications  of  the 
28 


434  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

furniture  of  other  countries.  Its  walls  remained 
largely  as  in  previous  epochs  except  that  the  use  of 
ornamental  leather  was  unfortunately  discontinued. 

THE  FURNITURE  OF  THE  PERIOD 

Searching  the  language  for  the  one  descriptive  word 
best  applying  to  the  furniture  of  the  eighteenth  century 
it  would  probably  be  found  in  delightful.  We  all  know 
how  rhythmic  in  line  and  homelike  in  feeling  was  the 
furniture  of  Queen  Anne,  we  have  seen  how  graceful 
and  how  elegant  was  that  of  Louis  Quinze,  and  how 
colourful  and  decorative  that  of  Italy:  we  shall  now 
have  the  pleasure  of  considering'  what  for  adaptability 
to  most  present-day  uses,  for  sheer  beauty  and  charm, 
for  both  comfort  and  elegance,  for  richer  or  for  poorer, 
is  at  least  in  the  opinion  of  the  writers,  the  loveliest 
furniture  the  world  has  ever  seen.  It  was  not  the  big- 
gest in  design,  nor  the  noblest,  but  these  qualities  are 
not  what  most  of  us  are  seeking  for  our  homes  to-day : 
if  it  was  not  these  it  was  the  most  delightful. 

More  than  that  of  any  other  epoch,  perhaps  as  much 
as  all  the  others  together,  has  it  been  employed  in  mod- 
ern homes — and  with  a  narrowness  amounting  to  same- 
ness and  to  tameness.  More 's  the  pity !  for  its  capabil- 
ities in  combination  are  almost  infinite !  Think  of  the 
materials  alone — not  only  the  ubiquitous  dark  mahog- 
any, but  satinwood,  plain,  decorated  or  brass-mounted, 
inlay,  lacquer,  light  mahogany,  gilding,  the  beautiful 
tones  of  Louis  Seize  painted  pieces,  and  the  decorative 
possibilities  of  those  of  Italy  and  Spain. 

England  will  again  be  taken"  as  the  key  for  com- 
parison because  of  the  greater  familiarity  of  its  furni- 
ture to  most  readers.  For  the  same  reason  it  has  been 
thought  advisable  to  give  as  many  illustrations  of  the 
furniture  of  Continental  Europe  as  limits  permitted, 


THE  NEO-CLASSIC  435 

rather  than  occupy  space  with  pieces  better  known. 
Those  who  wish  to  make  close  comparisons  can  do  so 
by  referring  to  Eberlein  and  McClure's  "Practical 
Book  of  Period  Furniture"  for  the  British  and  Amer- 
ican forms. 

It  is  first  necessary  to  give  place  to  Thomas  Chip- 
pendale, both  because  of  his  ability  and  position  and 
because  though  he  lived  and  worked  during  the  Neo- 
Glassic  movement  he  was  not  for  the  most  part  of  it. 
It  seems  to  be  the  fashion  to  disparage  Chippendale, 
and  individual  critics  each  take  their  fling  at  one  or 
another  phase  of  his  work.  It  is  amusing  to  note  that 
each  has  his  own  dislike  to  a  particular  phase  while 
giving  a  more  or  less  grudging  admiration  to  the  rest 
— and  that  each  of  his  characteristic  modes  is  succes- 
sively pitched  upon  and  praised.  Whereby  we  learn 
two  things — that  such  criticisms  are  merely  the  expres- 
sion of  personal  preferences  owing  to  temperament, 
and  that  Chippendale  was  a  more  myriad-minded  man 
than  his  critics.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  if  he  was  not 
usually  Classical,  as  was  Adam,  or  exquisite,  as  was 
Sheraton,  he  was  the  most  masculine  and  various  of  all 
eighteenth  century  English  designers.  His  large  li- 
brary bookcases  were  severely  classical,  and  most  of 
his  case  pieces — bureau  bookcases,  wardrobes  and 
desks — were,  even  when  ornamented,  sufficiently  so  to 
accompany  contemporary  furniture,  for  their  construc- 
tional lines  were  straight.  This  may  also  be  said  of  his 
more  regular  Chinese  pieces;  for  exotic  though  their 
inspiration  was,  the  Oriental  has  always  played  a  large 
part  in  Western  furnishing.  The  most  bizarre  render- 
ings are  best  gathered  in  a  room  carried  out  in  this 
manner,  thus  affording  an  interesting  variation  from 
others  of  more  orthodox  character.  His  Rococo  pieces 
have  already  been  provided  for  as  accompanying  cor- 


436  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

responding  Continental  forms.  His  "Gothick"  vein 
was  not  largely  worked  and  few  reproductions  are 
made.  The  furniture  most  widely  recognised  as  * '  Chip- 
pendale"— the  chairs  with  splats  containing  C  and 
other  curves  and  with  cabriole  legs  and  claw-and-ball 
feet  and  other  pieces  with  these  members  go  excellently 
well  with  Queen  Anne  forms  and  also  accompany  many 
of  the  pieces  of  his  contemporaries  much  better  than 
might  be  expected  from  their  differences  (Plate  167). 
The  common  heritage  of  English  feeling  probably  ac- 
counts for  this. 

As  the  head  and  front  of  the  Classic  movement  in 
England  we  must  give  to  Robert  Adam  first  place  in 
furniture  as  in  architecture.  He  was  never  a  con- 
structor of  furniture,  but,  with  an  artistic  conscience 
worthy  of  all  praise,  designed,  as  has  been  mentioned, 
many  pieces  in  order  that  his  interiors  might  be  con- 
gruous throughout.  In  this  he  was  preceded  by 
Chambers  and  also  by  Kent,  who  did  some  good  things 
but  whose  work  was  usually  marred  by  clumsiness.  Not 
only  was  Adam's  furniture  of  great  beauty  (see  "The 
Practical  Book  of  Period  Furniture"  by  Eberlein  and 
McClure),  but  his  influence  was  strong  with  both  Hep- 
plewhite  and  Sheraton.  Chippendale  was  intimately 
associated  with  Adam  and  carried  out  his  most  im- 
portant designs,  notably  at  Harewood  House,  Nostel 
Priory  and  for  David  Garrick.  Under  ordinary  cir- 
cumstances we  might  therefore  have  expected  him  to 
become  the  most  Classic  of  the  three,  but  he  maintained 
his  own  individuality  and  followed  his  personal  tastes, 
so  that  we  never  find  him  supplying  Neo-Classic  furni- 
ture direct  to  his  own  patrons.  Hepplewhite  also  was 
original  in  retaining  many  curvilinear  forms,  particu- 
larly in  his  chair  backs,  though  most  of  his  constructive 
lines  were  rectilinear.  We  know  none  too  much  of 
Sheraton,  but  that  strange  soul— Baptist  preacher, 


PLATE  161 


Photograph  by  Alinari 


LOUIS  XVI  COMMODE  WITH  BRONZE  ORNAMENTS 

BY   MARTIN  CARLIN 
Also  note  Clock  and  Candlesticks  of  the  period 

Musee  National  du  Louvre 
By  Courtesy  of  Radillo-Pelitti  Co. 


A.  LOUIS  SEIZE  SETTEE  AND  CHAIRS,  IN  OLD  "NEEDLE  WORK 
In  the  possession  of  Messrs.  Speelman  Bros.,  London 


B.  CHAIRS  DESIGNED  BY  ROBERT  ADAM  FOR  HAREWOOD  HOUSE 

Tapestry  of  Light  Field  Surrounded  by  a  Rich  Rose  du  Barry  Ground 

From  "Robert  Adam  and  His  Brothers" 


PLATE  163 


A.  Venetian  Shield-back 

Chair 
American  Art  Galleries 


B.  Late  Eighteenth  C 
tury,  painted.     Sheraton 


Affinitj 


hooper  Institute 


'.   Late  Eighteenth 
Century,  painted. 
Louis  XVI  Affinity 


D.  Painted  Venetian  Chair 

Louis  XVI  Affinity 

By   Courtesy   The   Missee 

Hewitt 


E.  Walnut  Square-back  Chairs 

Louis  XVI  Affinity 
By  Courtesy  The  Misses  Owen 


F.  Walnut  and  Parcel  Gilt 

Chair 

Louis  XVI  Affinity 
By  Courtesy  George  Howe,  E»q. 


(?.  Italian  Square-back  Settee,  Painted  and  Parcel  Gilt 
By  Courtesy  of  Cooper  Institute 


ITALIAN  NEO  CLASSIC  CHAIRS  AND  SETTEE 


PLATE  164 


ITALIAN  NEO  CLASSIC  WALL  FURNITURE 

A.  Early  Neo  Classic  Venetian  Painted  Armoire  (Baroque 
Feet)  Eighteenth  Century,  Polychrome  and  Parcel  Gilt 

By  Courtesy  of  John  Wanamaker 

B.  Console  and  Console  Table  of  Veneered  and  Inlaid  Woods 
Late  Eighteenth  Century,  Both  of  Louis  XVI  Affinity 

By  Courtesy  of  Cooper  Institute 

C.  Falling-front  Secretary  of  Mahogany  and  Rosewood 
Multicolour  Inlay,  Sheraton  Affinity 
By  Courtesy  of  George  Howe,  Esq. 


THE  NEO-CLASSIC  437 

tractarian,  drawing  master,  designer  and  publisher, 
offensively  carping  in  his  comments  on  contemporaries 
—must  have  been  filled  with  a  love  of  beauty  for  its 
own  sake,  for  nowhere  among  them  all  do  we  find  work 
quite  so  exquisite  as  his.  Other,  lesser,  English  de- 
signers should  find  mention  here,  but  space  is  limited. 

Upon  seeing  the  Venetian  shield  back  chair  (Plate 
163  A)  among  the  illustrations  to  this  chapter  upon  the 
Neo-Classic  movement  some  readers  will  probably  be 
surprised,  for  it  is  at  once  recognisable  as  of  the  style 
of  Louis  XV.*  This  is  quite  true,  but  these  curves  were 
so  subtle,  so  free  from  ornament,  that  they  were  ''car- 
ried over"  as  being  appropriate,  and  thus  find  their 
place  among  the  rectilinear  forms  of  the  Classic  Ee- 
vival.  We  must  not  forget  that  the  curule  chairs  of 
ancient  Borne  were  almost  entirely  curvilinear.  It  is 
also  to  be  remembered  that  designers  do  not  neces- 
sarily pass  away  upon  the  death  of  movements :  some 
of  the  French  ebenistes,  therefore,  while  abandoning 
certain  characteristics  of  the  Eococo  retained  other 
curvilinear  features  in  their  work  during  the  succeed- 
ing reign.  Especially  do  we  see  these  characteristics 
in  some  of  the  fine  cabinet  pieces. 

Just  why  so  great  a  slenderness  was  adopted  as  the 
expression  of  the  Neo-Classic  in  furniture  has  not  to 
the  writers'  knowledge  been  touched  upon.  Probably 
it  was  because  the  heavier  phase  of  Classicism  had  al- 
ready been  exploited  by  the  Palladian  movement  and 
because  (as  opposed  to  the  "spaciousness"  of  the  times 
of  Elizabeth)  elegance  rather  than  size  was  the  char- 
acteristic note  of  the  eighteenth  century  and  its  life: 
however  this  may  be,  this  slenderness  was  universal  to 
England  and  France.  The  instinct  shown  in  adopting 

*  This  beautiful  chair  is  painted  yellow  heightened  with  gold,  and 
with  flower  sprays  in  colour.  Its  covering  is  yellow  silk  damask. 


438  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

it  for  these  forms  was  doubtless  a  right  one,  for  we 
feel  a  certain  "stodginess"  in  the  sometimes  heavier 
pieces  of  Italy  and  Spain. 

Within  the  limits  of  slenderness  we  nevertheless 
find  a  considerable  variation.  Some  of  the  side  chairs 
and  tables  seem  extremely  fragile  (even  Chippendale 
designed  spider-leg  tables);  some  of  Hepplewhite 's 
chair  backs  are  light  while  their  legs  are  substantial ; 
but  the  Louis  Seize  arm-chairs  strike  precisely  the 
right  degree — for  beauty  and  for  comfort  they  are 
among  the  finest  seating-furniture  ever  designed 
(Plate  162  A  and  to  the  right  in  Plate  160). 

Owing  probably  to  the  faulty  practice  of  American 
decorators  twenty-five  or  thirty  years  ago  the  im- 
pression is  abroad  that  the  furniture  of  Louis  Quinze 
and  Seize  is  "gilt  and  gaudy";  whereas,  on  the  con- 
trary, it  and  its  covering  were  of  the  highest  refinement. 
Gilding  was  sometimes  employed  upon  the  framework, 
but  the  natural  woods  or  exquisite  tones  of  ivory  or 
grey  mostly  prevailed,  and  the  needlework  or  fabrics 
were  of  the  greatest  beauty. 

It  is  beyond  question  that  for  high  quality  of  de- 
sign and  ornament,  decorative  value  and  consummate 
craftsmanship  the  best  furniture  of  France  stands 
above  that  of  any  other  nation.  No  one  knew  this  bet- 
ter than  the  designers  of  those  other  nations  them- 
selves, and  upon  occasion  they  did  not  hesitate  to  avail 
themselves  of  its  inspiration.  They  did  not  by  any 
means  always  do  so,  however,  and  British  craftsmen 
particularly  succeeded  in  enduing  their  work  with  a 
homelike  quality  which  will  not  cease  to  be  prized.  Each 
of  the  great  furniture-producing  nations  contributed 
its  national  characteristics  and  it  remains  for  us  to  ap- 
preciate this  and  where  possible  add  such  engaging 
pieces  to  our  treasures  and  aid  others  in  so  doing. 


THE  NEO-CLASSIC  439 

/ 

The  furniture  of  Southern  Europe,  as  in  the  pre- 
ceding two  epochs,  followed  to  a  large  degree  the  more 
Northern  forms  but  with  the  usual  variations  so  inter- 
esting in  International  furnishing. 

THE    ASSEMBLING    OF    NEO-CLASSIC    FURNITURE 

As  the  principles  of  selection  have  been  dealt  with 
in  previous  chapters  few  remarks  are  necessary  re- 
garding the  assembling  of  furniture  of  this  epoch.  With 
ordinary  care  in  choice  and  placing  most  of  the  pieces 
would  accompany  each  other,  and  the  different  treat- 
ments, plain  and  decorative,  wrould  add  a  charming 
variety  if  too  many  phases  were  not  employed  in  the 
one  room.  Here  as  elsewhere  confusion  should  be 
avoided. 

In  Plate  161  is  illustrated  a  particularly  fine  console 
cabinet  with  mounts,  by  Carl  in,  in  the  Louvre.  In  the 
formal  elegance  of  such  furniture  France  stood  alone 
and  the  only  pieces  of  other  nationality  that  would  prop- 
erly accompany  it  would  be  the  finest  furniture  designed 
by  Adam,  such  as  the  chairs  shown  in  Plate  162  B.  Such 
museum  pieces  are  practically  unprocurable  and  their 
value  so  great  that  few  of  us  need  be  greatly  concerned 
as  to  what  to  place  with  them.  Specimens  approaching 
this  in  merit  should  be  used  as  centres  of  interest.  The 
very  beautiful  decorated  satinwood  pieces  of  Hepple- 
white  and  Sheraton  are,  with  all  their  elegance,  more 
intimate  and  homelike,  and  therefore  more  adaptable 
to  association.  Of  the  same  general  degree  of  elegance 
as  this  type  are  the  Spanish  and  Italian  cabinet  pieces 
illustrated  in  Plates  164  and  165  and  what  a  degree  of 
variety  and  relief  would  be  given  the  usual  British  or 
American  interior  by  the  employment  of  a  few  such 
different  mobiliary  forms.  The  Venetian  table  (Plate 
165  A)  is  likewise  very  interesting.  It  should  be  noted, 


440  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

too,  that  we  have  in  these  specimens  solid  walnut, 
painted,  and  inlaid  examples. 

Seating  furniture  is  so  characteristic  01  style  that 
a  variety  is  shown.  The  settee  in  Plate  162  A,  that  in 
the  New  York  apartment  (Plate  124)  and  that  in  the 
La  Fayette  boudoir  (Plate  46)  afford  three  distinct 
French  styles  of  this  period.  In  Plate  163  is  given  an 
Italian  example  which  with  handsome  covering  would 
be  a  very  attractive  piece  of  furniture.  A  number  of 
Italian  and  Spanish  chairs  appear  in  Plates  163  and 
166.  These  are  of  varying  degrees  of  elegance  and  (as 
will  be  seen  by  the  legends)  of  different  affinities. 

The  Spanish  six-legged  bedstead  (Plate  166)  is  both 
interesting  and  charming. 

As  is  the  case  with  all  the  furniture  illustrated  in 
these  chapters  (except  those  in  modern  rooms)  these 
are  original  pieces.  More  good  reproductions  are  made 
of  the  forms  of  this  period  than  of  the  earlier  ones,  and 
the  dealer,  decorator  and  householder  will,  with  care 
in  selection,  be  able  to  secure  many  excellent  things. 
The  woman's  room  shown  in  Plate  170  shows  a  suc- 
cessful combination  of  Neo-Classic  furniture  with  a 
simplified  panelled  background. 


In  addition  to  the  Adam  room  containing  a  variety 
of  furniture,  two  particularly  interesting  interiors  are 
given  to  show  the  close  correspondence  in  spirit  exist- 
ing between  the  various  nationalities.  One  of  these 
is  an  American  salon,  that  of  Thomas  Jefferson  at 
Monticello,  Virginia,  designed  by  himself  in  the  style 
of  the  Classic  Revival.  The  furniture  is  that  of  Louis 
Seize,  and  what  an  admirable  interior  it  is !  (Plate  168.) 
The  other  is  modern,  by  American  architects,  and  in 
this  the  background  is  Louis  Seize  while  the  furniture 


PLATE   169 


THE  NEO-CLASSIC  441 

is  of  various  British  and  American  styles  (Plate  169). 

In  a  preceding  section  it  was  mentioned  that  his- 
toric houses  would  naturally  contain  furniture  of  sev- 
eral successive  periods.  We  continually  see  this  in 
British  homes,  and  have  grown  so  used  to  the  real 
incongruity  sometimes  resulting  therefrom  that  it  is 
less  noticeable,  or  more  forgivable,  to  us  than  would 
be  such  differences  in  the  residences  of  foreign  coun- 
tries. It  is  undeniable  that  the  national  spirit  per- 
vading the  furniture  of  any  country  does  make  for  a 
certain  unity.  Notwithstanding  differences  of  influ- 
ence we  may  use  William  and  Mary,  Queen  Anne,  Chip- 
pendale and  Neo-Classic  furniture  in  one  house,  but  we 
must  be  careful  how  we  assemble  these  in  the  different 
rooms.  Most  certainly  we  should  not  put  Queen  Anne 
and  Sheraton  or  Adam  in  close  environment.  Judg- 
ment should  be  used  even  in  combining  William  and 
Mary  and  Queen  Anne  pieces.  These  two  with  some 
phases  of  Chippendale  form  one  group,  and  other 
phases  of  Chippendale  with  Adam,  Hepplewhite  and 
Sheraton  form  another.  That  straight-line  pieces  of 
William  and  Mary  will  accompany  even  Sheraton  is 
shown  in  Plate  79  B.  As  has  been  pointed  out  there 
are  foreign  pieces  corresponding  with  each  group  that 
may  be  used  therewith  for  the  securing  of  interest. 

A  like  procedure  should  be  followed  with  French 
interiors.  In  the  houses  of  that  country  we  occasion- 
ally find  the  background  of  one  period  accompanied  by 
furniture  of  another  period  or  of  two  or  more  mingled 
together.  It  would  be  preferable  that  each  interior  be 
accompanied  by  its  appropriate  furniture,  though,  as 
has  been  said,  the  restrained  forms  of  Louis  XV  go 
better  with  the  succeeding  style  than  might  be  expected. 
If  mingling  must  be  done  in  the  same  house  the  way  to 
do  it  is  shown  by  three  rooms  of  the  Murat  Mansion  as 
follows : 


442  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

Drawing-room:  Louis  Seize  panelled  walls,  Louis 
Quinze  furniture. 

Reception-room:  Louis  Seize  fabric-covered  walls, 
Directoire  furniture. 

Bedroom:  Louis  Seize  panelled  walls,  Louis  Seize 
furniture. 

This  is  certainly  better  than  the  inconsiderate 
jumbling  of  anything  and  everything  from  all  over 
Europe  and  from  the  fifteenth  century  to  the  nine- 
teenth, seemingly  the  vogue  in  many  new.  palatial 
American  houses.  Notwithstanding  occasional  diva- 
gations, Laurence  Sterne  was  right — '  *  They  order  this 
matter  better  in  France." 

THE  DIEECTOEY,  CONSULATE  AND  EMPIEE 

The  period  covered  by  these  governments  of  France 
is  a  portion  of  the  Neo-Classic  epoch,  but  the  manifes- 
tations of  the  Empire  style  were  so  different  from  those 
of  the  reign  of  Louis  XVI  that  for  the  avoidance  of 
confusion  they  have  been  separated  here.  The  Direc- 
tory and  the  Consulate  of  Napoleon  produced  styles 
that  were  uncertain  and  transitional. 

Anarchy  in  France  really  began  in  1789.  In  Janu- 
ary, 1793,  King  Louis  XVI  was  beheaded  and  the 
Terror  followed.  In  October  of  the  same  year  Marie 
Antoinette  was  sentenced  to  death.  The  Directory  was 
established  in  1795  and  fell  in  1799,  Napoleon  being 
made  First  Consul.  In  May,  1804,  he  made  himself 
Emperor  of  France. 

When  such  matters  as  decoration  and  furnishing 
were  again  thought  of,  tradition  had  been  broken  and 
authority  lost.  A  style  perfectly  adapted  to  the  real  or 
imagined  needs  of  the  hour  cannot  be  created  over- 
night, and  the  designs  of  the  period  naturally  followed 
the  pseudo-Classic  vein  that  had  been  the  heritage  of 


THE  NEO-CLASSIC  443 

France  since  the  days  of  the  Grand  Monarch.  Further- 
more, a  return  to  antiquity  in  aspiration,  surroundings, 
dress  and  conversation  was  the  mode  of  the  hour,  and 
the  style  of  Louis  XVI  had  been  based  upon  antiquity. 
It  was  to  be  expected,  therefore,  that  that  manner 
should  form  at  least  the  base  for  the  style  commonly 
known  as  Directoire;  but  because  of  republican  prin- 
ciples and  hatred  of  the  royalty  it  had  represented  it 
was  as  natural  that  it  should  be  simplified  and  stripped 
of  its  ornament. 

As  we  have  seen,  the  copying  of  antiquity  had  been 
a  characteristic  of  the  reign  of  Louis  Seize,  particu- 
larly during  his  last  years,  but  nevertheless  it  had 
always  remained  an  intelligent  use  of  Classic  material, 
a  proper  adaptation  to  the  widely  changed  conditions  of 
modern  times :  now  the  prevailing  belief  was  that  the 
Republic  of  France  was  a  duplication  of  the  Republic  of 
ancient  Rome,  and  antiquity  was  therefore  slavishly 
followed. 

The  Directory  existed  for  but  four  years  and  its 
style  was  a  merging  of  that  of  Louis  Seize  into  that  of 
the  Consulate  and  Empire.  It  is  in  general  a  charm- 
ing style,  being  the  result  of  the  simplification  of  a 
mode  of  the  greatest  beauty  with  an  added  swing  in 
chairs  and  settees,  probably  because  of  the  remem- 
brance of  the  curule  chair  of  the  ancients.  The  legs,  at 
least  the  fore  ones,  often  remained  straight,  either 
fluted  or  turned,  but  were  frequently  curved  outward 
toward  their  lower  ends.  The  backs  of  chairs  were  now 
rolled  at  their  tops  and  the  arms  of  settees  flared  grace- 
fully at  the  sides.  This  furniture  was  generally  painted, 
and  it  is  to  be  regretted  that  more  of  it  is  not  upon  the 
market  to-day;  for  no  style  is  better  adapted  to  our 
modern  uses.  Illustrations  are  given  of  three  original 
pieces  and  a  modern  reproduction  (Plates  171  and  172). 


444  INTERIOR  DECORATION 

If  the  Directorate  had  been  a  republic,  with  its 
"citizens"  every  man  a  king,  the  advent  of  Napoleon 
to  power  quickly  changed  all  this.  Though  nominally 
"Consul,"  his  rule  was  practically  supreme,  Frahce 
became  once  more  imperialistic,  and  the  step  to  the 
proclamation  of  the  Empire  with  that  military  genius 
upon  the  throne  was  but  a  logical  one.  No  longer,  in 
the  conception  of  France,  was  it  Republican  but  Im- 
perial Rome  now  reincarnate  upon  earth,  and  Caesar 
again  was  to  rule  the  world.  Napoleon  the  First  be- 
came King  of  Italy  in  1805  and  deposed  the  Bourbons 
in  Spain  in  1808. 

In  the  ever  sensitive  arts  of  decoration  and  furnish- 
ing we  naturally  expect  this  spirit  to  find  quick  ex- 
pression. They  soon  embodied  the  triumph  of  imperial 
antiquity,  of  militarism  and — of  vulgarity.  With  all 
stops  out  the  organ  blared  and  taste  became  ostenta- 
tion. As  Napoleon  conscripted  his  soldiers  so  the 
ancient  world  of  Egypt,  Greece  and  Rome  was  com- 
mandeered for  its  symbols  and  attributes  to  ornament 
walls  and  furniture :  the  Bourbon  L  gave  place  to  the 
N  and  the  fleur-de-lys  of  France  vanished  in  favour  of 
the  bee.  The  grace  of  the  Rococo  and  the  refinement 
of  Louis  Seize  were  supplanted  in  decoration  by  what 
we  see  upon  the  walls  of  the  salon  at  Hotel  de  Mailly, 
in  furniture  by  massive  pieces  with  broad  surfaces  in 
which,  notwithstanding  ornament,  we  feel  not  simplic- 
ity but  Uarikness.  "With  its  magnificent  mahogany  and 
metal  mounts  this  furniture  was  often  undeniably 
handsome  in  its  brutal  way  and  we  may  yield  it  the  sort 
of  admiration  we  give  a  likewise  handsome,  bold 
and  florid  woman— with  scant  liking  in  our  regard. 
Of  some  of  it  we  may  say  it  is  "rather  attractive" 
or  "not  so  bad,"  but  this  reaches  the  height  of  our 
commendation. 


A.  Side  Chair  with  Lyre  Back  and  Curved  Legs 
By   Courtesy  Radillo-Pelitti  Co. 

mm 


B.  Directoire  Settee-Reproduction 

Dull  Black  with  Tan  Edging  and  Maroon  Rosettes.     Matching  Upholstery 
By  Courtesy  of  Chapman  Decorative  Co. 


(.   Side   Chair   with   Fluted   Fore  Legs 
By  Courtesy  of  L.  Alavoine  &  Co. 

DIRECTOIRE  SEATING  FURNITURE 


PLATE    172 


PLATE  173 


THE  NEO-CLASSIC  .       445 

Without  further  description  the  illustrations  show 
its  characteristics  (Plates  51 A  and  173). 

Despite  Britain's  natural  fear  and  inveterate  en- 
mity to  Napoleonic  rule,  French  fashion  strangely  re- 
tained its  power,  influencing  mobiliary  styles  across 
the  channel  and  corrupting  the  beautiful  metier  of 
Sheraton. 

America,  with  its  adoration  of  France,  consequent 
upon  French  aid  in  our  troubles  with  our  Mother 
Country,  followed  its  lead  with  irregular  results.  This 
furniture  is  that  commonly  but,  of  course,  quite  erron- 
eously referred  to  as  " Colonial,"  Napoleon  not  even 
having  become  First  Consul  till  twenty-three  years 
after  the  Declaration  of  Independence. 

Some  American  Empire  pieces  are  heavier,  clum- 
sier and  more  debased  in  line  than  the  French.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  furniture  of  Duncan  Phyfe  deserves 
great  praise  for  its  appropriate  lightness  and  grace 
of  line.  It  is  really  more  akin  to  the  Directoire  style. 
The  acanthus-carved  four-post  bedsteads  and  the  ped- 
estal tables  were  American  developments  of  heavy 
but  unmistakably  handsome  character.  All  these  are 
well  known. 

To  France  is  due  the  honour  of  producing  the  most 
beautiful  furniture  ever  devised  for  the  use  of  man,  but 
red  republicanism  and  autocratic  ambition  had  ' '  done ' ' 
for  France.  We  should  be  appreciative  of  beauty 
wherever  it  may  be  found  and  inclined  to  be  patient 
when  it  is  not  quite  reached,  but  in  contrast  to  the  love- 
liness of  but  a  few  years  before  the  brutal  bombast  of 
Napoleon's  bed-chamber  and  the  clumsy  inelegance  of 
chairs  such  as  those  from  Versailles  is  enough  to  make 
angels  weep.  With  the  Empire  all  mobiliary  art  died, 
and  now,  in  all  the  world  for  a  hundred  years  there  has 
been  no  great  designer  of  furniture. 


THE  FOUR  GREAT  DECORATIVE  INFLUENCES 

RENAISSANCE,  BAROQUE,  ROCOCO,  NEO-CLASSIC 

Dates  given  are  approximate,  and  are  those  of  the  first  clear  manifestations.  Symptoms 
always  showed  themselves  earlier.  Influences  persisted  till  the  advent  of  the  succeeding 
movement,  often  blending  therewith. 


ENGLAND 

FRANCE 

ITALY 

SPAIN-PORTUGAL 

a 

Henry  VIII  (1509-47) 

Introduced  by  Fran- 

Renaissance began  in 

Began   toward   end   of 

o 

introduced     the     new 

cois     I    (1515-47). 

decoration   first   half 

fifteenth     century. 

£ 

3 

M 

style,    mainly    Renais- 
sance ornament  grafted 

Strongly    Gothic    till 
reign     of     Henri     II 

fifteenth       century. 
Its    influence    spread 

Strongly     impregnated 
with  Moorish  elements. 

•/; 

on  Gothic  forms. 

(1547-59)  ,  when  Clas- 

throughout   civilised 

<5 

Elizabethan      period 

sic     influences     pre- 

Europe. 

z; 

1558-1603. 

vailed. 

s 

Inigo  Jones,  Palladian 

« 

influence,  1619. 

I  nterior  architecture  re- 

HenrilV  (1589-1610). 

Vigorous     symptoms 

Fully  established  about 

remained  Classic   with 

Baroque  exhibited  its 

about  the  middle  of 

beginning  of  the  seven- 

some Baroque  features. 

boldest  forms  in  that 

sixteenth  century. 

teenth  century  and  at- 

Furniture Baroque  from 

reign  and  that  of  Louis 

tained  some  of  its  most 

H 

Restoration  (1660). 

XIII  (1610-43). 

Culmination    under 

exaggerated    forms    in 

3 

Bernini. 

these  countries. 

<y 

(The    strongly    Dutch 

Under     Louis     XIV 

Many  furniture  forma 

o 

oi 

furniture  of    Queen 

(1643-1715).    Classic 

usually    designated    as 

•*« 
< 

Anne-Early    Georgian, 

influences  re-asserted 

William  and  Mary  and 

0 

and  Chippendale  deri- 

themselves.     France 

Queen  Anne  really  had 

vations  from  it,  form  a 

then  became  the  dom- 

their inception  in  Por- 

rather separate  group.) 

inating  decorative  in- 

tugal, due  primarily  to 

fluence  in  Europe  and 

Oriental  agenciesarising 

so  remained. 

fromtradewiththeEast. 

g 

In  England  only  Chip- 

The  Regency    (tran- 

Simultaneous      with 

i 
Furniture    mainly    de- 

pendale's   "French" 

sitional)  1715-23. 

France.    Architecture 

rived       from       French 

°l 

pieces    and    a    few    of 

Louis  XV  (1715-74).  . 

occasionally      dis- 

forms and  often  carried 

"=>- 

other  designers. 

turbed  and  distorted 

to  excess. 

Os 

Exterior  architecture. 

into     Rococo    forms. 

-I 

Interior      architecture, 

Classic. 

Italy  lost  initiative  in 

5g 

Classic. 

Interiors    and    furni- 

furniture design  and 

0 

ture,  Rococo. 

chiefly   copied  forms 

i 

of  French  provenance. 

Brothers   Adam,   prin- 

Louis    XVI     (1774- 

Italy  responded  read- 

Resumed Classic  furni- 

cipal exponents,  estab- 

1793).    Architecture, 

ily  to  Nee-Classic  in- 

ture forms,  deriving  in- 

lished December,  1761. 

exterior  and  interior, 

fluences    and    devel- 

spiration   chiefly    from 

Hepplewhite     (17  
'86). 

and  furniture  all  con- 
sistently Classic. 

oped  forms  analogous 
to  those  of  England 

French  types. 

Sheraton  (1750-1806). 

and  France,  but  giv- 

o 

a: 

Chippendale's      more 
Classic  pieces.  Shearer. 

National  Convention 

ing  distinctly  original 
interpretation  and  of- 

K 

•< 
J 
o 

"English   Empire"   re- 
flection  of    Napoleonic 
influence.      Decadence 

(1792-95). 
Directory  (1795-99). 

ten  originating  pecu- 
liarly local  forma. 

6 
a 

of  Sheraton. 
In    the    United    States 

Empire  style  — 
Napoleon  1st  Con- 

Directory   and    Em- 
pire   furniture    of 

Directory  and  Empire 
furniture      of      France 

"American    Empire" 

sul,  1799. 

France     closely     re- 

closely reflected. 

marked  by  some  indi- 

NapoleonEmperor, 

flected. 

vidual     characteristics. 

1804. 

Best  exponent,  Duncan 

Phyfe. 

INDEX 


Accents,  colour,  196,  197,  203, 
211 

Accessories,  decorative,  20-23, 
57^60,  73,  74,  92,  93,  101,  102, 
106,  128,  129,  163-165,  182, 
221,  222,  288,  289,  299,  244- 
349,  364-368,  386,  397,  408, 
423,  433 

Adam,  Brothers,  26,  39,  40,  42, 

43,  44,  45,  47,  49,  56,  69,  234, 
416,   427,   430-432,   435,   436, 
439-441;  influence,  26,  40,  42- 

44,  47,  48,  56,  59,  62 
American  Empire  style,  445 
Antiques,  303,  305,  390 
Apartments,   188,  214,  219-228, 

234,  258,  275,  295 
Applique,  279,  317 
Architects,  239,  241,  381 
"Architects'  Furniture,"  54 
Architecture,  7,  97 
Arrangement,  24,  61,  62,  77,  78, 

94,  95,  103,  107, 129,  166,  271- 

274,  282-296 
Assembling  of  styles,  371,  387- 

389,  398-409,  439-442 
Aubusson  carpets,  419,  423 
Austrian  secession,  176,  178 


Background,  architectural,  7-15, 
26-51,  64-67,  81-85,  97-100, 
104.  105,  112-126,  138-161, 
169-172,  216,  217,  233,  257, 
378-383,  386,  394-397,  405, 
408,  416-419,  425,  430-434 

Balance,  259,  282-296 


Baroque  fashions,  4;   influence, 

376,    384,   387,   391,   392-409, 

410 

Basis  of  decoration,  185 
Bedsteads,  16,  71 
Bedrooms,    218-223,    229,    271, 

275,  282,  300,  302,  364,  365, 

389 

Berain,  Jean,  123 
Bilboa  mirrors,  106 
Bird-cages,  222,  303,  367 
Borders,  wall  paper,  250 
Botticelli,  69 

Boucher,  Francois,  146,  417 
Boudoirs,  229,  235,  275,  279,  433 
Bow  windows,  273 


Campan,  Madame,  428 

Candles    and    candlesticks,    326, 

327,  331,  332,  367,  386 
Canopies,  247-249 
Carving  12, 17,  28,  30,  34,  36,  41, 

82,  83,  99,  113,  115-117,  120, 

125 

Cassoni,  67-69 
Ceilings,  7,  9,  10,  12,  14,  27,  28, 

37,  45,  46,  51,  65,  99,  105,  113, 

115,  118,  119,  121,  126,  143, 

148,  155,  159,  161,  249,  250 
Centres  of  interest,  288-291,  348, 

349 
Chambers,   Sir  William,  31,  35, 

36,  as,  55,  431,  436 
Chandeliers,  31,  147,  329,  333 
Chests,  15,  100 
Chimney-piece,  8,  9,  13,  30,  34- 

37,  43,  44,  51,  66,  83,  99,  105, 
113,  115,  121,  125 

447 


448 


INDEX 


Chinese  art  and  influence,  26,  38, 
56,  81,  84,  91,  146,  265,  266, 
299,  317,  337,  338,  344,  345, 
367,  368,  417,  421,  425,  435; 
rugs,  265,  266 

Chippendale,  Thomas,  54,  69, 
414,  416,  421,  422,  425,  435, 
436,  441 

Cipriani,  35,  43,  69 

Classic  ideal,  392;  revival,  26,  48, 
51 

Clocks,  344,  366,  367,  425 

Colour,  23,  24,  60,  61,  74-77,  93, 
94, 102, 106, 107, 129,  165, 166, 
180,  181,  191-232,  242,  255- 
257,  259,  260,  263,  276-279, 
311-313,  320,  365,  419,  420; 
properties  of,  191-232;  pro- 
portions of,  211,  212 ;  scale  in, 
210;  blended,  198,  213 

Colour-prints,  352,  419 

Commonwealth,  5,  11 

Complementary  colours,  193, 194, 
198,  201,  212 

Connoisseur,  The,  352 

Consulate  of  Napoleon,  442,  444 

Contrast,  198,  201,  209,  253,  254, 
279,  312,  345,  348,  349,  356 

Corners,  291,  292 

Country  houses,  4 

Country  Life,  322 

Crane,  Walter,  244 

Crazes,  186,  247 

Credenza,  70,  71,  89 

Cretonne,  198,  222,  223,  299,  311 

Curtains,  254,  269-2S1 


Decorative  processes,  19,  68,  69, 
90,  100,  101,  106,  127,  162 

Decorators,  214,  239,  260,  314, 
322,  323,  365,  372 

del  Sarto,  Andrea,  69 

Desfosse  &  Karth,  311 

Diament,  A.  L.  &  Co.,  311 

Dining-rooms,  224,  235,  275,  309, 
332,  400 

Directoire  style,  136,  138,  300 

Directory,  The,  442-444 

Dominants,  203.  219-230 

Donatello,  69 

Door  hangings,  280,  281 

Doorways,  9,  13,  14,  27,  34,  36, 
43,  44,  48,  50,  65,  66,  83,  84, 
99, 105, 112, 114, 116, 117, 119, 
120,  124,  139,  140,  143,  149, 
158 

Drawing  rooms,  219,  234,  235, 
243,  244,  275,  292,  308,  309, 
400 

DuBarry,  Madame,  412,  415,  428 

Dutch  influence,  407,  408 


Eclectic    furnishing,    372,    373, 

423,  424 

Ecclesiastical  vestments,  367 
Elizabeth,  Queen,  4 
Elizabethan  period,  4,  375 
Empire  style,  137,  138,  445 
Erskine  -  Danforth  Corporation, 

300 
Eyre,  Wilson,  431 


Dados,  237,  247,  248 

David,  49 

Decoration,  Fixed,  7-15,  26-51, 
64-67,  81-85,  97-100, 104. 105, 
112-126,  138-161,  169-172; 
movable,  20-23,  57-60,  73,  74, 
92,  93,  101,  102,  106,  128.  129, 
163-165 


Fireplace,  8,  30,  44,  66,  99,  105, 
113,  115,  121,  125,  147,  154, 
159, 161,  289-291,  343-349 

Flaxman,  43 

Floors,  12, 14, 15,  46,  65,  66, 100, 
105,  113.  115,  116,  ;i9,  121, 
126,  148,  155,  159,  161,  181, 
217,  258-268,  384,  385 


INDEX 


449 


Fragonard,  146,  417 

Framing  of  pictures,  353-360 

Francis  I,  style  of,  110,  113-116, 
375 

Friezes,  241,  247,  248 

Furniture,  English,  15-20,  51- 
57;  Italian,  67-73,  85-92; 
Spanish,  100,  101,  105,  106; 
French,  126-128,  161-163 ; 
Renaissance,  384-389,  403- 
40o;  Baroque,  402-409,  419, 
420;  Rococo,  419-425;  Neo- 
Classic,  434-445;  tests  of  as- 
sociation, 398,  400,  410,  429; 
choosing,  297-311 ;  commercial, 
303,  304,  306-308,  390;  inex- 
pensive, 298-301 ;  painted,  301, 
311;  reproductions,  305,  306, 
390,  406;  suites,  308,  309;  ar- 
rangement, 282-296 

G 

Gibbon,  Grinling,  12,  13,  28 
Gibbs,  James,  31,  32,  36 
Good  Furniture,  307,  322 
Gothic,  4,  374 

H 

Hanging's,    237,    289,    299,    316, 

345,  367,  384,  423 
Harper's  Bazaar,  353 
Henry  II,  style  of,  110,  116-119 
Henry  IV  and  Louis  XIII,  style 

of,  111,  119-121 
Hepplewliite,    Geon?e,    (>n.    313, 

439,  441 

House  and  Garden,  322 
House  Beautiful,  The,  322,  353 


Ideals  in  decoration,  215 
Improving   furnishing,    180-182, 

189 
Individuality,  179,  186,  190,  256, 

257,  277-279 


International-inter  period  dec- 
oration, 188,  369-445 

Italian  craftsmen,  5,  9,  10 ;  influ- 
ence, 5,  6,  11 


James,  Henry,  305,  334 
Japanese  art  and   objects,  317, 

337-339,   344,   345,   352,   357, 

358 

Jefferson,  Thomas,  440 
Jones,  Inigo,  11,  31,  32 


Kauffman,  Angelica,  69 

Kent,  Sir  William,  26,  31,  36,  39, 

44,  436 
Keying  and  relating,  212 


Lamps,  333-341 

Lancret,  146,  417 

Lanthorns,  31 

Large  houses,  228-230,  233,  234, 

236,  291 

Leather,  for  Avails,  98, 105, 117 
Leavens,    William    &   Co.,   Inc., 

298-300 

Libraries,  290,  341 
Lighting,  artificial,  324-342;  in- 
direct, 325 
Lights,  hanging,  329,  330,  332, 

367;  standard,  331,  341,  367, 

386;  side,  330,  332 
Living-rooms,  275,  290,  298,  299, 

302,  309 

Louis  XII,  style  of,  110, 112,  113 
Louis  XIV,  style  of,   111,  112, 

121-126,   395,   396,   405,   407, 

408,  413,  416,  433 
Louis  XV,  style  of,  130-134,  211, 

234,   411-425,   434,   437,   438, 

441,  442 
Louis   XVI,   style   of,   134-136, 

204,  213,  234,  242,  313,  427- 

443  • 


450 


INDEX 


M  Panels,  decorative,  367 

Mclntire,  Samuel,  48  Papered  walls,  241,  242-250,  255, 

Mahogany,  253,   254,   358,  400,         257,  397,  433 

401,  408,  429  Parge,  10,  14 

Mantle  decoration,  343-349          ^Parquetting,   15,   100,   105,   113, 
Marie  Antoinette,  427-429,  442          116,  119,  121,  126,  148,   155, 

Marot,  123  159>  161 

Peasant  and  cottage  art  and  fur- 


Materials,  23,  24,  60,  61,  74-77, 
93,  94,  102,  106,  107,  129,  166 
Mats  and  mounts,  360,  361 
Methods  of  furnishing,  188,  189 
Mirrors,  22,  58,  147,  288,  367 
Mission  furniture,  201,  297,  298, 

311 

"Modern"  decoration,  175-182, 
189,  230-232,  241,  254-257, 
266,  279,  298,  302,  309-315, 
317,  332,  338,  340,  352,  353, 
359,  392 

Moore,  George,  252,  433 
Moors,  99,  374,  377 
Morris,  William,  244 
Mortlake  looms,  20,  22 
Movement  in  design,  318,  319 

N 

Napoleon  Bonaparte,  444,  445 
Neo-classie  influence,   344,  426- 

445 
Non-committal    decoration,    182, 

189 
Nonesuch  Palace,  3 


Oriental  art,  4,  211,  213,  221,  227, 
317,  331;  rugs,  263-266,  385 


niture,  177,  231,  232,  257,  298- 

300,  310,  317 
Period  furniture,  ]90,  298,  303- 

309,  371-445 
Phyfe,  Duncan,  445 
Photographs,  360 
Picture  rails,  250,  362 
Pictures,  framing  and  hanging, 

350-363 
Piranesi,  83 
Plain- wall  treatments,  378,  379, 

383,  417-419,  423,  433 
Planning,  186-189,  191 
Plaster,  9,  10,  12,  14,  28,  30,  37, 

41,  42,  45,  46,  51,  65,  66,  105, 

112,  114,  117,  118,  121,  126, 

148,  150,  155,  158,  159,  161, 

237-238,  383 
Platt,  Charles  A.,  424 
Pompadour,    Madame    de,    412, 

415,  428 
Portuguese    furniture,    404-406, 

415,  420 ;  influence,  19 
Pottery  and  porcelain,  367 
Proportions  of  colours,  211-213, 

225,  228 
Purchasing,   Hints  on,  312-314, 

321-323,  334,  350,  351,  365 


Painted  walls,  239,  241,  255 
Panelling,  12,  14,  27-30,  34,  36, 
37,  41-44,  82-84,  97-99,  105, 
112,  114-118,  124-126,  140- 
144,  149-152,  158,  234,  235, 
241,  247,  257,  379-381 


Queen  Anne-early  Georgian,  305, 
376,  403,  406-408,  422,  434, 
436,  441 


Reception  rooms,  219,  220,  275 
Regency,  411,  413,  416 


INDEX 


151 


Renaissance,  213,  234,  238,  239, 

283,  344,  374-391,  395,  398- 

405,  409,  424,  426;  Flemish,  7; 

influence,  4,  7,  11,  63;  Italian, 

5,  31,  32,  108 
Restoration  period,  4,  6,  7,  11, 

18,  22,  23 

Rococo  influence,  see  Louis  XV 
Romantic     influences,     392-409, 

410-425,  426,  429 
Rugs  and  carpets,  181,  218-230, 

259-268,  299,  385,  419,  423 


Samplers,  367 

Sand-finished  walls,  237,  255,  383 

Savonnerie  carpets,  419,  423 

Scale,  294,  295,  318,  346,  357 

Sconces,  31,  58,  330 

Shades,  window,  270,  271;  lamp, 
342 

Sheraton,  Thomas,  242,  313,  435, 
436,  439,  441,  445 

Small  houses  and  cottages,  220, 
234,  275 

Spanish  decoration  and  furni- 
ture, 380,  387-389,  397,  406- 
408,  414,  415,  417,  420,  422, 
425,  427,  433,  434,  438-440 

Spur,  The,  322 

Staircase,  8,  45,  100 

Stripes,  243,  244,  255 

Stucco-duro,  9,  10,  14,  114 

Studio,  The,  352 

Suites  of  furniture,  308,  309 


Tables,  72,  90,  101 

Tapestries,  20,  67,  98,  113,  117, 

128,  316,  317,  384,  423 
Templetown,  Lady,  43 
Tests    of    furniture   association, 

398-402,  410,  429 
Town  and  Country,  322 


Textiles  and  their  use,  181,  218- 
230,  242,  263,  274,  276,  312- 
323,  384,  386,  401,  419,  420, 
423 

Texture,  319,  320 

U 

Unity  and  variety,  186,  213-230, 
260,  402,  403 

V 

Valances,  272-274,  278,  280 
Value,  209,  254 
Vanity  Fair,  322 
Venetian  blinds,  270,  271 
Vogue,  322,  353 
Vanbrugb,  Sir  John,  31 

W 

Walk,  8,  10,  27-29,  36,  40-43, 
49,  50,  65,  66,  82,  97-99,  105, 
112-114,  116,  117,  120,  124, 
125,  140-142,  149-151,  158, 
160,  181,  214-230,  233-257, 
379,  380 

Wall-paper,  99,  105,  117,  120, 
150,  159,  242-250 

Walpole,  Sir  Horace,  32,  33,  38 

Watteau,  92, 138, 146,  417 

Wedgwood,  43 

Whistler,  253,  353 

Whitehead,  A.  N.,  Sc.D.,  F.R.S., 
2, 184,  370 

White,  Stanford,  381 

Whites,  197, 199,  238,  253,  254 

Whitewash,  238 

Wicker  furniture,  298,  301-303, 
311 

Wilton,  35 

Windows,  7,  8,  12,  13,  27,  36,  44, 
45,  50,  66,  100,  112-114,  116, 
119,  124,  139,  140,  143,  149, 
160,  187,  269-281 

Window  transparencies.  368 

Wolsey,  Cardinal,  3 

Woodwork,  251-253,  275 

Wren,  Sir  Christopher,  11,  31,  32 


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